74. Mr. David Adamsasked the Minister of Health whether, as in pursuance 35 of the powers conferred upon them by Section 10 (1) of the Rent and Mortgage Interest Restrictions (Amendment) Act, 1933, local authorities are entitled to set up committees to give information for the assistance of landlords and tenants as to their rights and duties under the Acts, and, as in Circulars 1348 and 1354 the Ministry of Health expressed the view that the Acts did not empower the local authority to offer advice on questions arising between individual landlords and tenants, he has taken steps to reconcile such committees' duties under the Act with the injunctions thereon contained in the circulars in question?
§ The Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Health (Mr. Bernays)My right hon. Friend cannot agree with the hon. Member that there is any discrepancy which needs reconciling between the language of the Section which he cites and the views expressed in the circulars. The Section only empowers a local authority to publish information of a general character for the assistance of landlords and tenants in their rights and duties and the like and not to offer advice on legal questions arising between individual landlords and tenants. If, however, the hon. Member will let my hon. Friend know more specifically the difficulty he has in mind, he will be glad to consider it.
Mr. AdamsI shall be very glad to send the hon. Member the information that I have in order to clear up the difficulties which have arisen, and which have continued for many months, in Newcastle-on-Tyne.