§ 60. Mr. James Hallasked the Minister of Health whether he is aware that, though the decontrolling provisions of the 1938 Rent Restrictions Act were justified on the grounds that they would produce no undue hardship, it can be proved that wherever the protection of the Rent Acts has been removed rents have been increased by amounts averaging between 5s. and 10s. per week; and whether, because of the hardship to many poor families, he will repeal the 1938 Rent Act and introduce a new Rent Act extending control to all working-class houses?
§ Mr. ElliotI have no information which would lead me to suppose that there has been any widespread increase in the rents of the comparatively small number of houses decontrolled under the Act of last year. I cannot adopt the suggestion in the last part of the question.
§ Mr. HallIs the right hon. Gentleman not aware that the excessive rents charged in these cases are creating a good deal of dissatisfaction and disturbance, and is he not prepared to deal with the matter, which is of importance to a large number of working people?
§ Mr. ElliotOne has to consider whether, by further legislation, one would not create greater hardship and injustice than would be removed.
§ Sir P. HarrisDoes the right hon. Gentleman realise the importance of this problem in London? Will he consider whether special provision cannot be made to deal with the acute problem in London where there is still a housing shortage?
§ Mr. ElliotI shall be glad to examine any evidence which the hon. Baronet cares to put before me.
§ Mr. SilvermanIs the right hon. Gentleman not aware that in many working-class households the rent takes as much as 35 to 40 per cent. of the money, and does he not think that that fact alone is a justification for action?
§ Mr. ElliotThere are 12,000,000 houses in this country, and 4,000,000 have been built since the War, and that is the best protection against high rents.