21. Vice-Admiral Taylorasked the Minister of Health whether he is aware that the Paddington Borough Council have referred to the tribunal under the Furnished Houses (Rent Control) Act, 1946, some 550 contracts for furnished lettings and unfurnished lettings with services in respect of flats at Park West, W.2, without any initiative having been taken by the tenants in regard thereto; and whether, having in mind the amount of statistical work involved in supplying particulars under the Act, he will issue a circular deprecating these comprehensive references in cases where tenants make no complaints.
§ Mr. BevanThe answer to the first part of the question is "Yes, Sir," and to the second part. "No, Sir." As I have said before, it is for a local authority to decide in what particular cases they should exercise their powers of reference to a tribunal.
Vice-Admiral TaylorIs not the Minister aware that, in this case, the action taken by the Paddington Borough Council is an abuse of their powers in that there were no complaints to the borough council; that this is likely to cause considerable bad feeling between landlord and tenant, which should not exist; and that I 3324 have had numerous letters from the tenants protesting against having their cases referred to the tribunal, because they were perfectly satisfied with their rent?
§ Mr. BevanThe power was given to the local authorities to refer rents to the rents tribunals where the authority considered that the rents were unreasonable and where they believed that many appeals to the tribunals were not being made because of the fears of reprisals by the landlords. I do not propose to interfere with the discretion of the local authority in this case.
Vice-Admiral TaylorWhile recognising what the Minister has said regarding the fear of the three months' notice in this case, may I ask him if he is aware that the Council could have no cause to consider that the rents were high, because there had been no complaints made about them?
§ Mr. BevanI think it would be a gross interference with the powers of the authority to make any remark reflecting on the way they used them.
§ Sir John MellorWill the Minister say whether these 550 cases were the subject of individual and separate references to the tribunal, or whether they were all lumped together in one reference?
§ Mr. BevanThat is an entirely different matter, and if the hon. Gentleman will put down a Question on it I will reply.
§ Sir J. MellorDoes not this point arise out of the Question, which refers to "comprehensive references"?
§ Mr. BevanWhether the references are put forward before the tribunal in that way or not is for the tribunal to determine.