Mr. Ted Fletcherasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has received a letter from the Darlington Borough Council objecting to his direction that the rents of council houses in Darlington be increased by an average of 20p per week before a decision has been received from the rent scrutiny board on the provisional assessment of fair rents; and what action he proposes to take in consequence.
§ Mr. EyreMy right hon. and learned Friend wrote to the hon. Member on 6th November. He explained that he had given a direction for a much reduced increase, on the basis of the evidence supplied by the council, but that he would review his decision if there was any fresh evidence which the council could provide.
§ Mr. Leonardasked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many local authorities had received, by 30th September 1973, final assessments for fair rents under the Housing Finance Act 1972; and, in each case, how these final assessments differed, on average, from the provisional assessments and the then existing rents.
§ Mr. Channon136 authorities had received reports from the rent scrutiny board. Of these, 41 had received their final determinations of fair rent. I regret that the further information requested is not available.
§ Mr. Leonardasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list in the OFFICIAL REPORT the local authorities which applied to him for a direction under Section 62(4) of the Housing 121W Finance Act 1972 to increase council house rents on 1st October 1973 by a smaller average amount than the Act requires; and if he will list in each case the amount proposed by the local authority and the amount of the average increase directed by him.
§ Mr. ChannonIn addition to a number of informal inquiries and preliminary representations received, the following table lists the local authorities in England which have specifically sought a direction under Section 62(4) of the Housing Finance Act 1972 to increase council rents from 1st October 1973 by a smaller average amount than the Act requires; the amount of the average increase which each authority proposed; and the amount of the average increase directed.
122W
Amount proposed by the Authority Amount directed by the Secretary of State p p Accrington B. C. * † Alfreton U.D.C. 17 † Ashington U.D.C. * 40 Ashton-under-Lyne B.C. * † Barking L.B.C. Nil † Barnoldswick U.D.C. 3 † Barnsley C.B.C. * † Barrow-in-Furness C.B.C. Nil 40 Basildon U.D.C. * † Batley B.C. Nil † Battle R.D.C. * † Bedworth U.D.C. 40 † Berkhamsted U.D.C. * † Bexley L.B.C. 35 † Billinge-and-Winstanley U.D.C. * † Billesden R.D.C. 17 35 Birkenhead C.B.C. * † Birmingham C.B.C. * † Bishop Auckland U.D.C. 25 † Blackburn C.B.C. Nil † Blackwell R.D.C. * † Blaydon U.D.C. * † Bletchley U.D.C. * † Bolton C.B.C. 15 † Bootle C.B.C. 15 † Braintree and Bocking U.D.C. * † Bradford C.B.C. * † Brent L.B.C. * 44 Bristol C.B.C. * 45 Bromsgrove U.D.C. * † Burnley R.D.C. * † Burnley C.B.C. Nil † Bury C.B.C. * † Camden, L.B.C. Nil † Canterbury C.B.C. 43 † Castleford B.C. * † Chesterfield R.D.C. 18 † Church U.D.C. * † Circencester U.D.C. 26 † Clowne R.D.C. * † 123W
Amount proposed by the Authority Amount directed by the Secretary of State p p Colne B.C. * † Colne Valley U.D.C. * † Consett U.D.C. * 45 Coventry C.B.C. Nil † Crawley U.D.C. Nil † Darlington B.C. * 20 Darton U.D.C. 39 † Daventry B.C. 32 † Dearne U.D.C. * † Dodworth U.D.C. * † Doncaster C.B.C. Nil 40 Droylsden U.D.C. Nil † Dudley C.B.C. Nil † Dukinfield B.C. * † Ealing L.B.C. * † Easington R.D.C. 12.8 † Eccles B.C. * † Ellesmere Port B.C. Nil † Elstree R.D.C. Nil † Failsworth U.D.C. * † Felling U.D.C. * 35 Gateshead C.B.C. Nil 30 Glossop B.C. 3 † Greater London Council Nil † Greenwich L.B.C. 28 † Grimsby C.B.C. * † Hackney L.B.C. Nil † Halstead U.D.C. Nil † Hammersmith L.B.C. 44 44 Haringey L.B.C. * † Harrow L.B.C. Nil † Havering L.B.C. Nil † Heckmondwike U.D.C. Nil † Hemel Hempstead B.C. * † Hemsworth U.D.C. * † Hetton U.D.C. 20 † Higham Ferrers B.C. * † Houghton-le-Spring U.D.C. 48 † Hounslow L.B.C. * † Hoyland Nether U.D.C. 7 † Huddersfield C.B.C. 12 30 Huyton-with-Roby U.D.C. * † Islington L.B.C. Nil † Jarrow B.C. * † Kerrier R.D.C. * † Kidderminster B.C. * † Kingston-upon-Hull C.B.C. Nil † Kirkby U.D.C. 6.17 45 Kirkby-in-Ashfield U.D.C. 35 † Kiveton Park R.D.C. * † Lambeth L.B.C. Nil † Leeds C.B.C. * † Lees U.D.C. * † Leighton-Linslade U.D.C. 20 † Lewisham L.B.C. * † Lincoln C.B.C. Nil † Litherland U.D.C. Nil † Liverpool C.B.C. Nil 40 Longbenton U.D.C. 27 † Long Eaton U.D.C. 15 † Lowestoft B.C. * † Manchester C.B.C. Nil † Mansfield B.C. Nil † Mansfield Woodhouse U.D.C. 35 † Market Rasen U.D.C. 46 45 124W
Amount proposed by the Authority Amount directed by the Secretary of State p p Maryport U.D.C. * 30 Merton L.B.C. Nil † Mexborough U.D.C. * † Middleton B.C. * † Nelson B.C. * † Newcastle-under-Lyme B.C. 7.8 † Newcastle-upon-Tyne C.B.C. 1 20 Normanton U.D.C. * † Northampton C.B.C. 40 † Northwich U.D.C. * † Norwich C.B.C. * † Nottingham C.B.C. * † Nuncaton B.C. Nil † Oldham C.B.C. * † Portland U.D.C. 41 † Richmond R.D.C. 36.15 40 Rotherham R.D.C. 38 † Rotherham B.C. * † Rothwell U.D.C. * † St. Helens C.B.C. * † St. Ives B.C. 18 † St. Thomas R.D.C. * 20 Salford C.B.C. Nil † Seaham U.D.C. 16 16 Seaton Valley U.D.C. * 47 Sheffield C.B.C. Nil † Shildon U.D.C. * † South Molton R.D.C. 44.35 45 South Shields C.B.C. * 45 Sowerby Bridge U.D.C. * † Spennymoor U.D.C. 30 30 Stanley U.D.C. (Yorkshire) 46 † Stanley U.D.C. (Co. Durham) * † Stalybridge B.C. * 15 Staveley U.D.C. * † Stockport C.B.C. Nil † Stourport-on-Seven U.D.C. * † Stretford B.C. Nil † Sunderland C.B.C. * 40 Sutton L.B.C. 22.8 40 Sutton-in-Ashfield U.D.C. * 45 Tamworth B.C. * † Todmorden B.C. 13 † Tower Hamlets L.B.C. Nil † Tyldesley U.D.C. * † Tynemouth C.B.C. * 45 Wakefield C.B.C. * † Wallasey C.B.C. Nil † Wallsend B.C. * † Walsall C.B.C. * † Waltham Holy Cross U.D.C. * † Wandsworth L.B.C. * † Warley C.B.C. 15 † Warrington C.B.C. * † Warsop U.D.C. Nil † Washington U.D.C. 25 † Wath-upon-Dearne U.D.C. * 40 West Bromwich C.B.C. 10.5 † West Penwich R.D.C. 47.4 † Whickham U.D.C. * 35 Whiston R.D.C. * † Whitley Bay B.C. * † Widnes B.C. 28 † Wigan C.B.C. 21 † Winsford U.D.C. Nil 35
Amount proposed by the Authority Amount directed by the Secretary of State p p Witham U.D.C. 37 † Wokingham B.C. * † Worksop B.C. 5 † Worksop R.D.C. 2 † Wortley R.D.C. * † York C.B.C. 15 † * An unspecified amount less than 50p proposed † No direction.