§ Mr. BattleTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will place in the Library a copy of his Department's guidance to rent officers in carrying out their new role under the Housing Act 1988, Part V. as from 1 April 1989.
§ Mr. TrippierThe detailed basis on which rent officers assess the rent paid by, and accommodation occupied by, private tenants claiming housing benefit is set out in the Rent Officers (Additional Functions) Order 1989. Advice on how rent officers might approach their new task—particularly in circumstances where no direct market evidence is available—was included in a study of the private rented housing market commissioned by the Department from the consultants Price Waterhouse. Copies of that report were circulated to rent officers and were placed in the Library in February.