§ 11. Mr. Longdenasked the Minister of Housing and Local Government when he proposes to make an Order bringing controlled rents into the rent regulation system.
§ Mr. GreenwoodI do not at present propose to make such an Order.
§ Mr. LongdenDoes the right hon. Gentleman really consider that there is either justice or equity in denying to any property owner the right to appeal to a tribunal to fix a rent which will enable him to keep his property in proper repair, and to enjoy a reasonable return on his investment?
§ Mr. GreenwoodThere are difficulties on both sides. It would not be right at the moment to upset the whole machinery of the Rent Act, which in many areas has been in operation for only seven months so far.
§ Mr. LiptonWould my hon. Friend give an estimate of the number of tenancies which are still under rent control? The number has been diminishing rapidly in recent years.
§ Mr. GreenwoodI understand that the number is about 2 million.
§ Mr. Boyd-CarpenterWill the right hon. Gentleman confirm his predecessor's pledge to take this step as soon as the rent officers were able to cope with the necessary work?
§ Mr. GreenwoodI do not believe seven months is long enough to decide whether or not that is the case. I believe there are possibilities of reorganising the burden falling upon rent officers in order to make quite sure that the burden is more fairly spread than it is at the moment.
§ Mr. WinnickRecognising that there are certain problems connected with this matter, may I ask whether the Minister would encourage local authorities to purchase properties of this sort where the landlord is willing to sell? Would the Minister agree that where a landlord has been able to charge any sort of rent in the past as under the 1957 Rent Act, there has been great reluctance on the part of landlords and property companies to carry out repairs?
§ Mr. GreenwoodThat is a different Question.