§ 9. Sir SAMUEL ROBERTSasked the President of the Board of Trade whether his attention has been called to cases of profiteering in the letting of rooms and houses; whether such cases are covered by the Profiteering Act of last Session; and, if not, whether he proposes to meet such cases by further legislation?
§ Sir A. GEDDESThe answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. The Profiteering Act does not apply to rents charged for rooms and houses. As regards the remainder of the question, I would refer my hon. Friend to the answer given by the Prime Minister to the hon. and gallant Member for South-port on February 12th.
§ Sir S. ROBERTSIf legislation is introduced will the right hon. Gentleman consider the advisability of making the Act operative from, say, the introduction of the Bill?
§ Sir A. GEDDESI will certainly bring that suggestion to the notice of the Department concerned in this, which is not the Board of Trade, but the Ministry of Health.
§ Mr. PEMBERTON BILLINGIs he aware that, owing to the Rent Restriction Act, some tenants are living in one or two rooms in a large house for a greater weekly rent than is paid for the whole property, and does he consider that either reasonable or fair?
§ Sir A. GEDDESI am afraid I am not quite in a position to enter into a discussion on the housing question. I do not in my own Department know about it; it falls within the scope of the Ministry of Health, and if my hon. Friend will put down a question to them, I have no doubt he will get an answer.