§ 30. Mr. A. Lewisasked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs, if he is aware that from 1955 until 1960 income from rents, after deducting the cost of repairs and other expenses, rose by 73 per cent., what was the increase in 1961; what was the reason for this increase; and what action he proposes to take to reduce rents.
Dr. HillI assume the hon. Member is referring to the statistics given him on 22nd February by my hon. Friend the Financial Secretary to the Treasury. These show that income from rents in 1960 was 50.7 per cent. higher than in 1955. As the figures include rents of all types of property, including offices and shops, and including also notional figures for owner-occupied property, I 45W do not think any very useful conclusion can be drawn except the one we all know—that for years after the end of the war rents stayed too low in relation both to costs and to incomes.