§ 28. Sir F. Messerasked the Minister of Housing and Local Government whether he will direct the attention of development corporations and local authorities to the desirability of charging no more than economic rents for shops, having regard to the fact that high rents necessarily mean that higher prices are 13W charged to consumers ; and if he will discourage the leasing of land to development companies whose activities, as an unnecessary intermediary, can only result in raising shop rents to the disadvantage of consumers.
§ Mr. PowellDevelopment corporations, like local authorities, normally let shops for the best rent they can get and my right hon. Friend sees no objection to this practice. Nor does he see any reason for restricting the market in land by excluding development companies.