§ Sir E. Erringtonasked the Minister of Housing and Local Government how often, in each rent assessment panel area, during the six months ended 31st May, 1969, has a rent assessment committee sat as a furnished rent tribunal; and how many cases have been dealt with in that capacity.
§ Mr. MacCollThe number of times when the president of a rent assessment panel can appoint the same three people to sit as a rent assessment committee and as a furnished rent tribunal is governed by the occasions when cases under both the unfurnished and furnished codes arise in the same area, and it becomes practicable and more economic for the hearings to be dealt with at the same time.
In the six months ended 31st May, 1969, five unfurnished and six furnished cases were dealt with at four sittings 37W in the Manchester panel area, four unfurnished and six furnished cases were dealt with at four sittings in the York shire panel area, two unfurnished and three furnished cases were dealt with at two sittings in the Surrey and Sussex panel area, and eight unfurnished and 21 furnished cases were dealt with at eight sittings in the Southern panel area.
§ Sir E. Erringtonasked the Minister of Housing and Local Government (1) what is the total cost of furnished rent tribunals for the six months ended 30th June, 1969; how many cases have been dealt with during that period; and how many are still outstanding in each area;
(2) how many cases have been referred to the rent assessment committees during the six months ended 31st May 1969 for each of the 15 rent assessment panel areas; how many cases have been dealt with during that period; how many are still outstanding; and what is the total cost of this service in each area.
§ Mr. MacCollThe membership of rent tribunals is merged with that of rent assessment panels, and their costs cannot be separately assessed. Accounting for June is incomplete; for the six months ended on 31st May, 1969, the combined cost in England is estimated at £285,000. An analysis of this figure by panel area is not avaibable. The other figures requested are set out in the following table.
38W
RENT TRIBUNALS (ENGLAND) Panel Area Cases determined in six months ended 30th June, 1969 Outstanding at 30th June, 1969 Northern 139 15 Manchester 414 102 Yorkshire 339 85 Liverpool 109 42 West Midland 338 92 East Midland 175 64 Bristol 99 31 Thames Valley 108 42 Luton 113 54 Eastern 116 35 Devon and Cornwall 74 17 Southern 125 35 Surrey and Sussex 125 45 Kent 55 27 London 4,621 1,130 Totals 6,950 1,816
RENT ASSESSMENT COMMITTEES (ENGLAND) Applications for registration of fair rents referred to, or dealt with by. Rent Assessment Committees in England during the six months ended 31st May 1969 Panel Area Referred during period Withdrawn during period* Determined during period In hand at end of May, 1969 Northern 25 5 28 5 Manchester 26 1 31 2 Yorkshire 443 15 343 140 Liverpool 27 2 16 16 West Midland 153 10 33 128 East Midland 44 8 59 29 Bristol 12 3 13 4 Thames Valley 22 2 10 15 Luton 48 36 16 5 Eastern 21 5 19 1 Devon and Cornwall 14 4 14 4 Southern 16 3 10 5 Surrey and Sussex 30 13 19 15 Kent 11 1 7 5 London 577 90 645 413 Totals 1,469 198 1,263 787 * "Withdrawn" includes cases not entertained and cases adjourned sine die.
§ Sir E. Erringtonasked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what is the total cost of the rent officer service for the six months ended 31st May, 1969; and what was the additional number of rent officers appointed during that period and the number of rent officers whose service has been terminated over the same period for each of the rent registration areas.
§ Mr. MacCollThe total cost of the rent officer service for the six months ended 31st May, 1969, is not available. Local authorities are reimbursed at six-monthly intervals, on receipt of an interim claim made for expenses incurred in the six months period up to 30th September and of a final claim for the year in respect of the period up to 31st March. In the six months period up to 31st March, 1969, payments amounting to £629,730 were made.
During the same period, one additional part-time rent officer was appointed in Nottingham, but no rent officer's services were terminated during this period.
§ Mr. Bruce-Gardyneasked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what 39W estimate he has made of the cost to public funds of his Department's current advertising campaign regarding the rent officers service; and if he will introduce legislation to exempt private landlords in receipt of rents of less than £1 per week for fully modernised properties from the obligation to pay tax in respect of an equivalent sum.
§ Mr. MacCollThe campaign will cost about £70,000. The second part of the Question appears to relate to taxation rather than housing law, and is not therefore one for my right hon. Friend.