§ Mr. Silkinasked the Minister of Health what action he proposes taking to prevent and deal with profiteering in the letting of furnished accommodation?
§ Mr. E. BrownOf 1,468 local authorities to whom I addressed inquiries on the subject of excessive rents I have now received replies from 1,437. I am glad to be able to say that the reports show that there is no evidence of rent profiteering in the greater part of the country. Where excessive charges have come to notice, the local authorities have generally been able to secure appropriate reductions by making representations to the landlords without recourse to legal proceedings, but proceedings have been, or are being, instituted by 26 authorities. Almost all local authorities have either set up or are about to set up a special committee to deal with this problem, and a careful 349W review of the reports indicated that rent profiteering can be checked by the vigorous use of the powers which have been conferred on local authorities. I propose to ask local authorities for a further special report in six months' time, when I shall again review the matter, and to remind them that in cases in which tenants of furnished lettings who complain are evicted by their landlords it might well be suitable for them to exercise their powers of compulsory billeting and requisitioning in order to secure accommodation for the "priority classes."