§ 25. Mr. Michael Morrisasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the effects of the Rent Act 1974.
§ Mr. ArmstrongThe Act was intended to provide security of tenure for furnished tenants of absentee landlords. It has been successful in this.
§ Mr. MorrisWe recognise that part of the aim was to provide security of tenure, but will the Government now recognise that another effect has been to dry up the 1360 supply of furnished accommodation, with an estimated loss of nearly 1 million units? Will they now address themselves to this problem and devise a form of tenancy agreement which will allow landlords to let their properties?
§ Mr. ArmstrongDespite the request from this Box for hard evidence, there is no hard evidence that we have had as yet—
§ Mr. MorrisYes, there is.
§ Mr. ArmstrongIf the hon. Gentleman has any, he can submit it, and I assure him that it will be seriously considered. We have no hard evidence that the Act has caused a significant acceleration of the housing shortage.
§ Mr. RossiIs the hon. Gentleman aware that we have now entered the second academic year with many hundreds of students disadvantaged and without proper accommodation, because of the effects of the Rent Act? When will the Minister introduce the legislation, long since promised to me, to exempt all student accommodation from the effects of the Act?
§ Mr. ArmstrongThe hon. Member will know that this matter has had serious consideration in my Department, that we have had discussions with the Department of Education and Science and with the National Union of Students, and that they were reluctant that we should proceed with legislation. Again, we have no evidence that the kind of assertion that the hon. Gentleman has made is true—
§ Mr. MorrisRubbish.
§ Mr. ArmstrongThe hon. Member must contain himself.
We have no evidence of any kind, yet, that the students feel that the situation is being made worse by this Act.