§ 22. Sir B. Jannerasked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs what steps he is taking to ease the additional burden which will be placed upon tenants of houses, when the provisions of the Rating and Valuation Act come into force, whose rents have increased owing to the decontrol introduced by recent Rent Acts
§ The Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs (Sir Keith Joseph)I presume that the hon. Member is referring to the revaluation. I see no reason to think that this will place any additional burden on tenants of decontrolled houses generally.
§ Sir B. JannerIs the Minister really saying that in his view the revaluation will not affect the amount of rates that any tenants have to pay? If he is not, is he aware that, owing to the vast number of people who have been affected by the Rent Acts, and whose rents have been exorbitantly increased, in all probability considerable hardship will be caused to them? What will he do in the event of such a situation arising?
§ Sir K. JosephI did not say that. Revaluation will affect tenants in various ways, depending on the relative movement of the value of their property in relation to other property, domestic and of all sorts. But the hon. Member was asking about decontrolled 'tenants. The rental values which are taken for the purpose of calculating rateable value are in terms of a free market and take no account of the restraint on those rents by a control order.
§ Sir B. JannerBut is not the right hon. Gentleman aware that his answer does not carry the matter any further for those who will have to pay more in the way of rates in consequence of revaluation and who have already been charged excessive rentals owing to the fact that the Government have introduced Rent Acts which have removed controls? What will the right hon. Gentleman do about it if people are affected in that way?
§ Sir K. JosephThe question is about rates, and the fact that tenancies have been decontrolled will make no difference.