§ Mr. Frank Allaun asked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) if he will publish his instructions to rent officers heading registration areas and to district valuers to provide information for the "Beacons" investigation of rents; (2) if he will make available to hon. Members the results of the "Beacons" investigation of rents; (3) why information about landlords' rates of return is being gathered by him.
§ Mr. Stanley:I refer the hon. member to my Department's supplementary memorandum to the Select Committee on the Environment regarding the Committee's inquiry into the private rented housing sector, a copy of which I have placed in the Library. The memorandum includes the background to, and a description of, the Department's "Beacons" exercise together with the first results.
Mr. Frank Allaun asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will be ready to consider changes in policy or practice as a result of the "Beacons" investigation of rents.
§ Mr. Stanley:"Beacons" implies no change in policy or practice by the Department, but contributes towards the background information against which policy is considered.
Mr. Frank Allaun asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will ensure that the "Beacons" exercise will not provide a basis for (a) increasing the general level of fair rents, (b) encouraging rent officers to adopt criteria in determining fair rents, specifically related to rates of return or (c) achieving consistency between registration areas in rates of return.
§ Mr. Stanley:As under previous Administrations no advice is given to rent officers about how to fix rents.