§ Mr. Clemitsonasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what advice he has given to rent officers in the application of paragraph 4(3) of the Counter-Inflation (Private Sector Residential Rents) (England and Wales) Order 1974, particularly in regard to the question of the increase of the counter-inflation limit to take account of the cost of any improvements to a dwelling-house.
§ Mr. FreesonRent officers have been reminded that only the courts have jurisdiction to say how any provisions of the Counter-Inflation (Private Sector Residential Rents) (England and Wales) Order apply in an individual case. But rent officers have also been told that it is the view of the Department that rent increases following improvements are permitted to take place by virtue of Article 4(3) of the order.
§ Mr. Hooleyasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT (a) the number of new dwellings completed and (b) the number of old dwellings demolished in the first four months of 1973 by local authorities.
§ Mr. KaufmanLocal authorities in England and Wales reported the completion of 16,000 new dwellings during the first quarter of 1973 and the demolition or closure through slum clearance of 15,100 houses. Slum clearance action statistics are collected quarterly.