§ 37. Mr. Swinglerasked the Secretary of State for War to what extent the rents of houses owned by his Department have been raised since 1957; and what steps have been taken to relate the increases in rents to the tenants' ability to pay.
§ Mr. H. FraserThe increases, which average about 20 per cent., are not related to the tenants' income.
§ Mr. SwinglerIs the hon. Gentleman aware that he is the third Service Minister of whom I have asked this Question and that the Answers from all Service Departments show that there is no co-ordination in this matter between the Service Departments, except that they all defy the Minister of Housing and Local Government in refusing to relate rent increases to people's ability to pay? Can the hon. Gentleman say why this is so?
§ Mr. FraserI disagree with the hon. Gentleman. It is simply a question of tenants paying a fair rent according to the rateable value, as they would have to do with any other landlord. As my hon. Friend the Civil Lord of the Admiralty has pointed out, there is a system of redress of grievance. There are 2,700 Army houses, apart from the ordnance factory houses, and I know so far of only four cases of genuine hardship which we are investigating.
§ Mr. SwinglerIs my hon. Friend aware that in assessing rent increases public bodies, such as local authorities, have been asked to take into account the tenants ability to pay? The Under-Secretary has said that the War Department refuses to do this. Why does it refuse to carry out Government policy?
§ Mr. FraserThe War Office is not refusing to carry out Government policy. It is carrying out Government policy, as are all other Government Departments.