§ 47. Mr. Liptonasked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs what is the estimated number of dwellings rented from private landlords for each year since 1957 to date.
§ The Joint Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Housing and Local Government (Mr. F. V. Corfield)The Donnison report published in 1961 estimated that in 1958 5 million dwellings in England were let by private landlords, that 100,000 were being sold each year for owner-occupation and about 60,000 were being demolished for slum clearance. I have no reason to suppose that the rate has changed materially in the past two years.
§ Mr. LiptonIs the hon. Gentleman aware that there has been a very substantial drop indeed in the number of dwellings rented from private landlords, and what are the Government doing to remedy the very serious and growing deficiency?
§ Mr. CorfieldAs to the second part of the question, I would refer the hon. Gentleman to the White Paper. As to the first part, I would remind him that the decline in the numbers was very much more rapid before the Rent Act.