§ 72. Mr. Newensasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will freeze the rents paid to site owners by the residents of mobile homes, caravans and house boats.
§ Mr. FreesonI would refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Newark (Mr. Bishop) on 27th March.—[Vol. 871. c.126.]
§ Mr. Cryerasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will extend the freeze on residential rents to ground rents for mobile homes; and if he will seek powers to prevent private site owners from making admission charges to mobile traders.
§ Mr. FreesonThe standstill on residential rents, imposed by order made on 8th March, does not apply to any ground rents; it affects rents for dwellings only.
I am considering the problem of site charges.
I am advised that the powers in the Caravan Sites and Control of Development Act 1960 which enable local authorities to attach conditions to site licences could be used to deal with the question of access to sites by tradesmen.
§ Mr. Stanbrookasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his estimate of the total number of families in England living permanently in caravans.
§ Mr. OakesThe only information available is from the 1971 Census. It shows that, at the time of the enumeration, there were 67,000 households in caravans in England.