HC Deb 23 November 1967 vol 754 cc1489-90
Q5. Mr. Winnick

asked the Prime Minister what representations he has received regarding deputations over council rent increases; and what replies he has sent.

The Prime Minister

Representations about council rents are properly matters for my right hon. Friends the Minister of Housing and Local Government and the Secretaries of State for Scotland and Wales, respectively, and I would normally ask them to handle such representations on my behalf.

Mr. Winnick

Is the Prime Minister aware, arising from this Question, that there is a great deal of satisfaction that council rents are now being referred to the Prices and Incomes Board, and would he not agree that some Tory councils—some of them—are waging a vendetta against council tenants by putting on that section of the community all the responsibility for and cost of local house building?

The Prime Minister

As I have said, an appropriate cross-section of cases are to be referred to the Prices and Incomes Board. I do not think it would be right for me to anticipate those references by saying whether they are waging a vendetta or anything else. What I think all of us will be concerned with is to have these cases examined, particularly where they appear to be provocative and dangerous to the prices and incomes policy, those which are very steep, very sudden, and those which, like certain recent ones, seem to involve raising revenue account to meet all possible costs four or five years ahead. But it would be better to await the report.

Mr. Lubbock

To assist hon. Members to defend their constituents against enormous rent increases, would the Prime Minister say what criterion he would be prepared to act on in referring them to the Prices and Incomes Board?

The Prime Minister

I said we were going to refer a representative cross-section of cases. Obviously some cases are justified—where, for example, the cost of maintenance, or, indeed, of building, has gone up. Some other cases appear to be very steep by any criterion. We must ask the Board to give its comments on them.