§ 49. Mr. Frank Allaunasked the Minister of Housing and Local Government, in view of the fact that in 51 per cent. of all the 64,981 rent determinations under the Rent Act, 1965 from 1st January, 1966 to March, 1968, the original rent has been increased, whilst in only 32 per cent. has it been decreased, what proposals he has to amend the Act.
§ Mr. GreenwoodThe Act provides for the fixing of fair rents which exclude from consideration scarcity values. If a landlord wants to increase a recoverable rent, his proposal must be submitted to this test, and I do not intend to alter this obligation. I am undertaking further publicity to encourage people with regulated tenancies who think their rents are too high to apply for a fair rent to be fixed.
As already announced, the Government intend, in the interests of price restraint, to include provision in the Prices and Incomes legislation to enable sharp increases in private rents to be phased.