§ 6. Sir B. Jannerasked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs whether he will make a statement on the rental increases and the compulsory vacating of tenancies which have resulted from the decontrol introduced by the Rent Acts; and what steps he proposes to take to deal with the resulting hardships.
§ The Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs (Sir Keith Joseph)Rental increases since the Rent Act have varied widely, but I have no reason to think that they have been generally unreasonable.
I have no figures of the number of people who have left because they found the rent too high for them. This can certainly be a hardship; but the remedy is not to freeze the market—it is to build more houses.
§ Sir B. JannerHas the Minister not read any of the reports of people who have been turned out of their homes—and there have been tens of thousands of them throughout the country—either as the result of court orders or as a consequence of increases in rents? Is 733 the right hon. Gentleman not aware that this hits a large number of people? What is he going to do when the new rating valuation attacks them further in those cases where rates will be increased?
§ Sir K. JosephI do not know from where the hon. Member gets his figures, but I have absolutely no evidence of hardship on anything like that scale. I would remind the House that local authorities have power to apply to me for compulsory purchase where they fear that such a thing might happen as a result of exorbitant rents, and the procedure seems to be working satisfactorily.
§ Mr. M. StewartRegarding compulsory purchase, does not the Minister remember that he and his predecessors have refused to confirm compulsory purchase orders even when the rent asked was five times the gross value? In view of that, how can he consider that this is a real remedy for the situation?
§ Sir K. JosephI have always said that in judging these cases it is not possible to look at the rent alone and that local authorities must remember that there has to be a threat of homelessness as well as exorbitant rent.
§ Mr. G. ThomasWhen replying to my hon. Friend the Member for Leicester, North-West (Sir B. Janner), the Minister referred to the evidence he has and the scale of increases of which he is aware. Would he give us an idea of that scale? Is he aware that his reply will surprise people in Cardiff, which he recently visited, where increases in rents have been excessive beyond all measure?
§ Sir K. JosephI recognise, of course, that there are some bad cases, but, in general, my evidence is that rents have not risen as fast as incomes. All local authority dwellings and half the privately owned rented dwellings are still rented at an average of about twice the gross value.