§ Mr. Thomas Coxasked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many persons comprise the London rent assessment panel; what qualifications he requires before making an appointment; and what consideration he gives to the representation of trades unions, working people and women's groups.
221W
§ Sir George YoungThe London rent assessment panel currently comprises 111 persons. This total is made up as follows:
- President
- 2 Lawyer Vice Presidents
- 2 Valuer Vice Presidents
- 31 Lawyer members (all chairman members)
- 39 Valuer members (31 of whom are chairman members)
- 36 Lay members.
Members are chosen by the Lord Chancellor and the Secretary of State for the Environment for qualities of judgment, common sense and an ability to take an unbiased view. In addition, lawyer and valuer members are assessed on their professional expertise. Equal consideration in accordance with a standard procedure is given to all candidates, whoever nominates them.
If appointed, a candidate nominated by a particular organisation would be expected to act impartially on his or her own responsibility and not to act as a representative of that organisation.
§ Mr. Thomas Coxasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the salary of members of the London rent assessment panel.
§ Sir George YoungSalaries are paid to the president and vice presidents of the London rent assessment panel, calculated according to the number of days served regularly each week on the basis of the following annual rates:
- President—£24,795 per annum.
- Vice Presidents—£23,500 per annum.
The actual salaries paid on the basis of the number of days served are currently as follows:
President—£12,398 per annum (based on two and a half days' service each week).2 Lawyer Vice Presidents—One paid £18,800 per annum (based on four days' service each week) and one paid £4,700 per annum (based on one day's service each week).2 Valuer Vice Presidents—£14,100 per annum each (based on three days' service each week).Other members of the panel are paid on a daily fee basis when their services are used. The current daily fees are:
£ Chairman members 98 Lawyer and Valuer members 79 Lay members 50
§ Mr. Thomas Coxasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he is satisfied that the procedures used by the London rent assessment panel ensure impartiality.
§ Sir George YoungYes. The procedures used by the London rent assessment panel and all other panels were recently reviewed by the working party on rent assessment panel procedures, a copy of whose report has been placed in the Library. The regulations governing the procedures of rent assessment panels were subsequently amended by the Rent Assessment Committees (England and Wales) (Rent Tribunal) (Amendment) Regulations 1981 (SI 1981 No. 1493) and the Rent Assessment Committees (England and Wales) (Amendment) Regulations 1981 (SI 1981 No. 1783). I am satisfied that the procedures provide for impartial consideration of cases.
§ Mr. Thomas Coxasked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many decisions of the London rent assessment panel in the last year have been in favour of the tenant.
222W
§ Sir George YoungThe latest complete figures available are in respect of 1981. In that year the total number of decisions made by rent assessment committees from the London Rent Assessment Panel was 3,549. In 2,484 cases this was an increase on the rent determined by the rent officer, in 249 cases a decrease, and in 816 cases the committee confirmed the rent officer's determination.
The task of rent assessment committees, in considering objections to determinations of a fair rent by rent officers, is not to find in favour of landlord or tenant. It is to fix a fair rent according to the statutory criteria in section 70 of the Rent Act on their judgment of the circumstances of the case at the time of their decision. This will be later than the determination by the rent officer which is the subject of the objection they are considering.