§ 51. Miss RATHBONEasked the Minister of Health whether, in view of the heavy burden on the taxpayer involved in housing subsidies and the insufficiency everywhere of the supply of subsidised houses to suit the means of the poorer tenants, he will consider taking steps to enforce on local authorities who disregard his circulars the principle that rent subsidies must be so used as to benefit those who need them?
§ Mr. SHAKESPEAREAccording to my hon. Friend's information this principle is generally observed. The question whether any particular method of rent differentiation should be adopted is a matter which is left under the Housing Acts to the discretion of the local authority.
§ Miss RATHBONEWill the hon. Member say why the method is left to the local authorities, and are the local authorities justified in using no method whatever to see that the rent relief is not given to those who do not need it, in view of the fact that by far the greater part of the money comes not from the rates, but from the taxes?
§ Mr. SHAKESPEAREParliament laid down certain conditions which fixed the level of rents under various Acts, but it is left to the discretion of local authorities to carry out the principle of differentiation, and, What being so, I cannot wear a black shirt and enforce a principle which was left to the discretion of local authorities.