§ 18. Mr. Juddasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will seek to obtain from local authorities details of property companies, as distinct from owners of individual properties, which have been taking advantage of improvement grants; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. AmeryNo, Sir. Local authorities are responsible for administering the grants scheme and I see no reason to interfere with their discretion in this matter.
§ Mr. JuddIn view of the unscrupulous profiteering which is taking place because of the shortage of land and property in other spheres, should not a development of this kind be resisted at all costs? Does not the Minister consider that he has any responsibility at a national level for ensuring that local authorities are particularly vigilant on this front?
§ Mr. AmeryThere are two kinds of grant. The standard grants are auto- 1496 matically available if applications are confirmed, and I see no reason to interfere with this in any circumstances. Discretionary grants are matters for the local authority, which is in a much better position to judge whether they involve a proper expenditure of public money.
§ Mr. Evelyn KingIs not the object of the exercise to improve dwelling conditions for the tenant and is not the concept of depriving a tenant of an improvement in order to exercise some curious kind of vengeance on the landlord an utterly petty concept?
§ Mr. AmeryI think my hon. Friend is quite right. It would be perfectly easy to restrict the flow of grants but this would simply be to condemn the lower income groups to live in a squalid ghetto.