HC Deb 08 December 1976 vol 922 cc439-41
12. Mr. David Hunt

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what action he will take in connection with the need to provide rating relief for disabled people.

Mr. Freeson

Rate relief is already available for facilities for disabled people under Section 45 of the General Rate Act 1967, as extended by Section 20 of the Local Government Act 1974. I am considering whether action is required to clarify or amend this legislation in the light of the judgment of the House of Lords in the case of Vandyk v. Oliver.

Mr. Hunt

The Minister's reply is not good enough. It is now a long time since the House of Lords' decision in Vandyk v. Oliver. It is seven weeks—[HON. MEMBERS : "Ask a question."] It is seven weeks—[Interruption.]

Mr. Speaker

Order. If the hon. Gentleman will put his question in an interrogatory form, it will help us all.

Mr. Hunt

I was taken aback by the dreadful answer, Mr. Speaker. Is the Minister aware that it is now some time since the decision in Vandyk v. Oliver, and that it is seven weeks since he said that he was urgently considering legislation? The severely disabled need sympathetic treatment. When will they get it from the Government?

Mr. Freeson

May I suggest to the hon. Gentleman that he should avoid rhetoric in this matter? This is a highly legalistic and complex matter—[HON. MEMBERS: "Oh."] I doubt very much whether the people who are doing the oh-ing and ah-ing have read the case. They should do so. I have read the papers and I know that it is a highly complex matter. I shall make the statement as soon as I can, although there are difficulties involved and problems of equity. I shall treat the matter as sympathetically as I possibly can. I remind the House that I was a very active sponsor of the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act 1970, and I am very concerned in this subject.

Mr. Hal Miller

In view of the Minister's well-known interest in this matter, will he give the House an assurance that he will look sympathetically into the question of rating and rent subsidies for hostels run by societies for helping the disabled, and particularly the mentally handicapped? Is he aware that at present such hostels are unable to attract a housing subsidy or rate relief, although their individual occupants would be able to do so?

Mr. Freeson

I do not know to which hostels the hon. Gentleman refers. It may be that there are some historic cases which he has in mind. But we have already acted on the matter of subsidy by the Housing Act 1974, one of the first measures we introduced. Under it we virtually absorbed hostel provision of all kinds, by housing associations and by local authorities, into the subsidy generally for housing. Perhaps the hon. Gentleman will give me details of the cases he has in mind.

With regard to the rating aspect, there are both mandatory and discretionary powers already operating. It is possible for a charitable organisation to get 50 per cent. derating on a mandatory basis, and there are discretionary powers for local authorities to consider rerating, if they feel it is right to do so, on application.