69. Mr. R. C. Mitchellasked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he is aware that in some areas the rents charged by local councils to tenants in old people's flats are now considerably higher than the rent allowance paid to those pensioners who are in receipt of supplementary benefit; and if he will take steps to increase the allowances to meet these charges.
§ Mr. EnnalsThe Supplementary Benefits Commission is empowered to provide only for rents which it considers "reasonable in the circumstances" and it has recently felt unable to meet in full the rents charged for new dwellings by some local authorities. A meeting with local authority associations is to be held shortly under the chairmanship of the Ministry of Housing and Local Government to try to reach agreement on the levels of local authority rents which can be met by the Commission.