HC Deb 03 November 1959 vol 612 cc30-1W
76 and 77. Mr. Mitchison

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs (1) how many houses at the latest convenient date remained rent-controlled in London, as defined in Command Paper No. 17 of November, 1956, and elsewhere in England and Wales;

(2) whether he will give an estimate of the rate at which de-control has been and is proceeding under Section 11 (2) of the Rent Act, 1957; and when he expects de-control to be complete in England and Wales.

Mr. H. Brooke

About 750,000 rented houses were de-controlled in England and Wales on 6th July, 1957, nearly 200,000 of these being in London. That left about 4¼ million under control, including 600,000 in London. There are no figures of the number becoming de-controlled each year on vacant possession, though pre-war experience suggests that this might be of the order of 3 per cent. per annum, which would now mean de-control of about 125,000 houses annually. I cannot split this figure, which is itself no more than an estimate, between London and the Provinces.

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