§ Mr. Rossiasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the aver- 168W age weekly rebated rent of a council house, expressed as a percentage of the average household income of local authority tenants from 1974 to 1977–78.
§ Mr. FreesonThe available information is as follows:
REBATED RENTS AND AVERAGE HOUSEHOLD INCOME OF LOCAL AUTHORITY TENANTS England and Wales: 1974–1976 (1) (2) (3) Average rebated rents Average household income of LA tenants (1) as a percentage of (2) £pa £pa 1974 175 2,491 7.0 1975 195 3,175 6.1 1976 222 3,623 6.1
§ Mr. Rossiasked the Secretary of State for the Environment how much the average rebated council rent would need to be increased to equal its real value in 1973–74.
§ Mr. FreesonRebated local authority rents in England and Wales averaged £3.31 per week in October 1973 and £4.95 per week in October 1977, equivalent to a 50 per cent. increase. During the same period the United Kingdom retail price index has risen about 93 per cent. If rents had risen at the same rate as the RPI since October 1973, the average rebated rent at October 1977 would have been £6.39 per week—£1.44 per week above the actual level.