§ 12. Mr. Russell Johnstonasked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether, in order to encourage more generous rent rebate schemes, he will disregard rent rebates in the calculation of notional rents.
§ Dr. Dickson MabonNo, Sir. To provide that rent rebates should be altogether ignored in these calculations could mean that some local authorities might get an unfair share of rate support grant by fixing rents which nominally reached the notional level but, in fact, did so in few cases.
§ Mr. JohnstonSurely the Minister would agree that in the White Paper on the period of severe restraint it was recommended that everything should be done to ensure generous rebate schemes? While one welcomes the fact that a choice is now available, why is it necessary to make a choice at all?
§ Dr. MabonUnfortunately, only one authority has taken advantage so far of 1697 the choice in 1963–64, and the general fact is that few authorities with low rents have generous rent rebate schemes. Hon. Members will recall from our proceedings last night that in Schedule 4 of the Rate Support Grant Order we have a provision for a calculation on a 5 per cent. higher figure where rebate schemes are approved by my right hon. Friend. We should proceed along that line, and my right hon. Friend favours the extension of rent rebate schemes—effective ones, of course—throughout most of the authorities in Scotland.