§ 32. Mr. Frank Allaunasked the Secretary of State for the Environment in which areas in the country the supply and demand for rented accommodation are in balance.
§ Mr. ChannonInformation in this form is not available.
§ Mr. AllaunBut the Minister knows very well that nearly the whole of the country is affected by an acute housing shortage. As the Housing Finance Bill is based on so-called "fair rents", which are supposed to ignore the shortage factor but do not in fact do so, will he look at page 58 of the Francis Committee's Report, which says that this factor can only be guessed at? Thus the whole of the Bill is based on a very doubtful conception.
§ Mr. ChannonAs the Bill entirely follows the provisions of the Rent Act brought in by the last Government, the hon. Gentleman might have raised this point at that time.