§ 24. Mr. Frank Allaunasked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs if he will introduce amending legislation so as to remove from local authorities the obligation to give their tenants notices ending their tenancies when announcing an increase in rents.
§ Mr. H. BrookeI will bear this in mind. I believe, however, that most authorities, to avoid misunderstanding, explain when serving a notice of increases in rent that the accompanying notice to quit is no more than a legal requirement since the existing tenancy agreement must be ended before a new one can be entered into.
§ Mr. AllaunDoes the Minister appreciate how alarming or upsetting it is to many tenants who do not understand that it is purely a formality to comply with the law when they are told that their tenancies are to end? Is it beyond the wit of the Minister to devise some way of avoiding this requirement?
§ Mr. BrookeI thought I was giving the hon. Gentleman a sympathetic Answer. If there were something which I could do by administrative action, I should do it. It would require legislation and, one day, we may be able to have legislation about it. Meanwhile, I have indicated the way in which most local authorities try to put the real position clearly to their tenants.