HC Deb 31 May 1960 vol 624 cc1150-2
13. Mr. Sorensen

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs, in view of the excessive rise in rents demanded by some landlords of decontrolled working-class property of over £40 rateable value, if he will introduce legislation to empower local authorities or himself to appoint officers who on request would indicate what would be a fair rent for such dwellings.

Mr. H. Brooke

No, Sir.

Mr. Sorensen

Could not the right hon. Gentleman look at this matter more sympathetically? Does he not appreciate that there are a number of working-class tenants who are now expected to pay £4 or £4 10s. a week because of the lack of any rent ceiling for property of over £40 in rateable value? Would not this be a helpful way of indicating what would be a fair rent for the benefit of both the tenant and the landlord?

Mr. Brooke

In the first place, there is not a great deal of property over £40 in rateable value which one would describe as working-class property. In the second place, rent control has done an infinite amount of damage to the proper maintenance of houses and the provision of houses to let, and I am not prepared to reintroduce control where it has ended.

Mr. M. Stewart

Is the Minister aware that we are getting complaints of this kind of thing from all over the country, as well as from my hon. Friend's constituency? I have had several complaints from Kew and from several parts of the country that landlords, armed with the power given to them by the Rent Act, are demanding exorbitant rents and even leaving their property unoccupied, realising that before long somebody will be driven by desperation to pay the exorbitant rents that are being demanded? Does the right hon. Gentleman think he can stand by and let this situation go on unchanged?

Mr. Brooke

This is very largely a London problem, and there is no doubt that the demand for property in London is very high, but if, in fact, the owners of these properties find that they cannot let them and they are standing empty, my belief is that they will ask for lower rents.

Mr. Lipton

Is not the Minister aware that in London, where the problem is at its worst, a scandalous victimisation of tenants is going on, and that poor people are being held to blackmail in present circumstances?

Mr. Brooke

It was to prevent that that we passed the Landlord and Tenant (Temporary Provisions) Act.

Mr. Sorensen

Is the Minister aware that, as an alternative to legislation, I have proposed that there should be a representative of the council in a purely advisory capacity to indicate what would be a fair rent? How does the Minister's argument apply to that proposal?

Mr. Brooke

The hon. Gentleman's suggestion would need some kind of enforcement, and enforcement would restore control. It is control which, as I have indicated, has done so much damage.