§ Major ENTWISTLEasked the Minister of Health if, in view of his refusal to include business premises in the scope of the Increase of Rent and Mortgage Interest (Restrictions) Bill, he contemplates introducing legislation to safeguard the interests of business men until the proposed Select Committee has reported?
§ Dr. ADDISONAn Amendment was introduced into the Bill by the Standing Committee yesterday, making the Bill applicable, subject to certain modifications, to business premises of the same rental value as the dwelling-houses to which the Bill applies.
§ Sir W. RUTHERFORDasked the Minister of Health whether the limits of rental referred to in the Increase of Rent and Mortgage Interest (Restrictions) Bill are the gross rentals or the net rentals; for instance, in the case of a flat, does the standard rent mean the amount at which the flat was let, including taxes, or does it mean the net amount received by the landlord after deducting the taxes?
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§ Dr. ADDISONStandard rent means the rent at which the house or flat was actually let on the deciding dates, including the amount of rates paid by the landlord. But a flat would be included within the provisions of the Bill if either the standard rent or the rateable value did not exceed the prescribed limits, and the permitted increases in rent to meet mortgage interest and cost of repairs will be calculated on the basis of the net rent, that is, the standard rent less the amount of the rates paid by the landlord.