HL Deb 08 July 1975 vol 362 cc718-9

2.56 p.m.

Lord CAMPBELL of CROY

My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.

The Question was as follows:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what advice they have given to Dundee council about raising their house rents and what action has been decided upon by the council.

Lord STRABOLGI

My Lords, in Scottish Development Department Circular No. 21/1975 of 19th March, my right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Scotland drew the attention of local authorities to the powers and responsibilities which the Housing Rents and Subsidies (Scotland) Act 1975 confers upon them to determine reasonable rents. My right honourable friend takes every possible opportunity to emphasise that authorities should increase rents so that they make a reasonable contribution to rising housing expenditure. He expects to receive shortly, from Dundee and other authorities, information on rents and housing finance which he has requested for 1975–76.

Lord CAMPBELL of CROY

My Lords, I am grateful to the noble Lord for that reply in the absence this week of the Scottish Office Minister, which I entirely understand. Is the noble Lord aware that it has been widely reported that Dundee district council has decided not to increase its rents at all despite the Government's public appeal to local authorities in Scotland to make increases? Is he aware that what the Government are now trying to do, unsuccessfully in Dundee and elsewhere, is precisely what the 1972 Housing (Financial Provisions) (Scotland) Act was effectively carrying out? This was the Act which this Government imprudently decided to replace earlier this year, despite the warnings and misgivings expressed in your Lordships' House.

Lord STRABOLGI

My Lords, in regard to the first part of the question, I understand that no decisions have been taken by the district council about the future level of rents, despite Press reports. I think that there was a report in the Scotsman of last Friday. The question is being debated at today's meeting of the housing committee. The report in the Scotsman has been denied by the chairman of the Labour group. With regard to the second part of the question, compulsion was written into the 1972 Act. The 1975 Act is not written in these terms. We expect local authorities to assess their financial positions really strictly as soon as they can, and to make their rent decisions responsibly.