HC Deb 23 May 1988 vol 134 cc77-8W
Mr. O'Brien

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many applications were made to the rent officer in West Yorkshire to have rents registered over the last eight years.

Mrs. Roe

Figures are available only from 1981. The information for 1981–87 is as follows:

Year Number
1981 16,150
1982 14,408
1983 22,169
1984 15,799
1985 21,198
1986 16,984
1987 19,705

Mr. O'Brien

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the percentage rises in rents as recommended by the rent officer for West Yorkshire for each year since 1979.

Mrs. Roe

The mix of properties for which rents are registered varies from year to year for a number of reasons; for example, the extension of decontrol in 1981 and the reduction from three to two years in the minimum period for re-registration which led to re-registrations in 1983 of rents previously registered in both 1980 and 1981. Estimates of percentage rises are best derived from previous and new registered rents for private regulated tenancies where there has been no material change in terms or in the physical condition. For rents in West Yorkshire fixed in each year, the estimated increases are:

Year of registration Annualised per cent. increase
1979 12
1980 13
1981 14
1982 14
1983 13
1984 10
1985 8
1986 9
1987 9