§ 11. Dr. Marshallasked the Minister of State for Defence what is the present rent of the unfurnished tenancy of Oak Grove House, Royal Military College, Sandhurst.
§ The Under-Secretary of State for Defence for the Army (Mr. Peter Blaker)The house is at present unoccupied but its rent when occupied by a serving officer would be £423 a year if unfurnished.
§ Dr. MarshallAt a time when millions of tenants throughout the country are subjected to the so-called fair rents procedure of the Housing Finance Act and when some rents for other ranks' married quarters in the Army are 28p per annum per sq. ft., whereas the figure given by the hon. Gentleman represents 13p per annum per sq. ft., will the hon. Gentleman ask the appropriate rent scrutiny board to determine a fair rent for this property?
§ Mr. BlakerAs the hon. Gentleman knows, rents for Army quarters are assessed by the independent Armed Forces Pay Review Body, which applies a formula devised by the National Board for Prices and Incomes in the early part of 1970. As for the floor area, the hon. Gentleman will know that Army quarters are divided into different rent brackets and that within each bracket there is a great variety in size, location and age of house. As in civilian life, one does not necessarily pay proportionately more rent for a large old house than for a smaller modern one.