This statutory instrument defines the specific geographical regions in England and Wales where the Right to Buy provisions of the Housing Act 1980 are modified or restricted. The document is issued by the Department of the Environment under the authority of the British government to clarify the legal application of housing legislation. It establishes the regulatory framework for local authorities regarding the sale of council-owned dwellings within designated areas.

Legal professionals and historians view this document as a foundational administrative record for understanding the implementation of 1980s UK housing policy. Readers frequently note the technical density of the prose, which is typical of statutory instruments from this period.