§ 27. Mr. Frank Allaunasked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs, following the recent survey revealing that 250,000 houses a year have been decontrolled in England by death, removal or other change of tenant since the Rent Act began to operate, and in view of the fact that such rents have now trebled, if he will now take steps to stop decontrol on a change of tenant.
§ Mr. BrookeNo, Sir.
§ Mr. AllaunDoes not this creeping decontrol mean that, three years hence, 40 per cent. of all houses controlled before the Rent Act came into operation will have become decontrolled—a far higher proportion than we were led to expect? Will the Minister tell the House what young married couples or workers forced to take jobs in other towns are to do in those circumstances?
§ Mr. BrookeI would judge that up to the present about one-third of all the houses that were under control before the Rent Act came into operation were now decontrolled, but the hon. Member's Question asked me to take steps to stop decontrol on change of tenant. I must point out to him that the principal effect of that would be to diminish the total number of houses coming on the market to let.
§ Mr. C. RoyleMay I be a little more modest than my hon. Friend and ask the right hon. Gentleman whether he can take one small step forward by bringing in an amendment to maintain control when the change takes place between members of the family already living in the house?
§ Mr. BrookeThe law does maintain control in certain circumstances now, but if the definition became as wide as to include any member of the family some houses might never get decontrolled.