Improvement Grants

HC Deb 06 December 1972 vol 847 cc1287-90

15. Mr. Skinner

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has now carried out an investigation into the allocation of discretionary improvement grants to Government Ministers.

The Secretary of State for the Environment (Mr. Geoffrey Rippon)

I have no evidence of any departure from the appropriate procedures by any Government Ministers.

Mr. Skinner

Is not the right hon. and learned Gentleman aware that the Tory Party Chairman and Secretary of State for Defence received a £7,200 discretionary improvement grant from Chelsea and Kensington Council on properties that were bought for £90,000 which the noble Lord subsequently converted to six properties with the help of this grant and sold for £270,000? Will the Minister accept that the name of the game is not "improvement", as his predecessor used to say, but "double your money"?

Mr. Rippon

I saw certain Press reports, and I saw the statement that was issued by solicitors for my noble Friend the Secretary of State for Defence making it clear that he had no personal financial interest whatsoever in this matter, and I have no reason to suppose that the appropriate procedures were not followed.

27. Mr. William Hamilton

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what progress he has made with his investigations into the abuses of house improvement grants.

Mr. Rippon

My survey of the social implications of house improvement in Inner London is making good progress.

Mr. Hamilton

Does it include an investigation into the activity of two senior Ministers—the Secretary of State for Defence, and the former Minister for Housing and Construction in his activities in Southwark? The right hon. and learned Gentleman clearly recollected, in answer to Question No. 15, the statement by the Secretary of State for Defence's solicitor, which alleged that the trustees were acting on behalf of the Secretary of State's family without his knowledge—although the profits obtaining from the transaction in Ovington Square were more than £100,000. If the Minister expects the House and the country to believe his right hon. Friend's assertion that he knew nothing about it he had better think again. The letters that I have received show that the public is only too well aware of the racket that is now going on between Ministers and the right hon. and learned Gentleman's Department.

Mr. Allaun

He should resign.

Mr. Rippon

I believe my right hon. Friend, and I believe that other people will believe him. If the hon. Member does not believe him, he must make allegations elsewhere—perhaps outside the House. I have no evidence at all that other than the appropriate procedures have been used in all these cases.

Mr. Winterton

Would my right hon. and learned Friend consider making stronger representations to local authorities urging them to be a little more liberal with their descretionary improvement grants, so that areas which they are at present declaring redevelopment areas and which contain many sound houses could be declared improvement areas and many excellent houses retained for the future?

Mr. Rippon

These, of course, are very much matters for the discretion of the local authorities.

I am glad that they have used their discretion very widely. Since I took office in this Department I have looked into the whole policy of improvement grants. I believe that these grants and their extension have made an enormous contribution to providing better housing for many people who otherwise would not have had it.

Mr. Stallard

Will the Secretary of State accept that the use of these improvement grants, certainly in many Inner London boroughs, has resulted in deterioration and loss of rented accommodation, particularly in the family sector? Does he not accept that abuses and harassment take place, in many cases long before the actual grant application is made? Will he not do as his hon. Friend says but instead ask local authorities to be a little more discreet in their application of these grants? Will he try to do something to stop harassment, for instance, by reviewing the existing laws relating to it, so that cases can be brought against landlords and speculators who indulge in this kind of action?

Mr. Rippon

There should certainly not be harassment and, as I said in answer to Questions on 15th November, tenants' rights are not affected in any way. Indeed, we want to take the maximum action possible to ensure that tenants know their rights. It is sad that more private rented accommodation at fair rents is not available to people, but the party opposite has done as much harm as anyone in preventing its being made available.