§ Mr. Frank Allaunasked the Minister of Housing and Local Government (1) if he will state the percentage of rent increases imposed by the rent assessment committees of the number of applications to the rent assessment committees in London, Birmingham and Southampton as compared with that for the remainder of the country, up to a recent date; and why the percentage is higher in those three areas;
(2) if he will state the percentage of rent increases determined by the rent officers of the number of applications to rent officers in London, Birmingham and Southampton, as compared with that for the whole country, up to a recent date; and why the percentage is higher in those three areas.
§ Mr. MacCollFigures of determinations by rent officers and by rent assessment panels are assembled by rent assessment panel areas, and except for London, where the panel area is coterminous with Greater London, figures for particular cities are thus not available without a special analysis; the following figures therefore relate to the three panel areas concerned.
Up to 27th September this year rent officers in London had determined 38,015 fair rents of which 48 per cent, represented increases over previous rents, in the West Midland area 5,381 fair rents of which 58 per cent. represented increases and in the Southern area, which includes Southampton, 2,676 fair rents of which 72 per cent. represented increases. In England and Wales as a whole rent officers had determined 89,683 fair rents of which 55 per cent. represented increases. Rent assessment committees in London had determined 4,790 references, in the West Midlands 258 and in the Southern area 134, and of rents so determined 29 per cent., 17 per cent. and 46 per cent. respectively represented increases on previous rents. In England and Wales as a whole rent assessment committees had determined 7,477 references 32 per cent. of which represented increases.
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§ Mr. Frank Allaunasked the Minister of Housing and Local Government if he will state, to the latest available date, how many applications have been made to rent officers for fair rents, stating, separately, those made by landlord and tenants; and how many made by each side have resulted in rent increases, decreases or maintenance of the previous rent.
§ Mr. MacCollUp to 27th September, 1968, 89,683 applications for the registration of a fair rent had been made to and determined by rent officers. An analysis has been made of 61,736 of these, being cases in which the circumstances of the dwelling and the tenancy at the time of registration were comparable with those before it. Of these 29,578 resulted from applications by landlords, 22,356 from applications by tenants and 9,802 from joint applications.
Of applications by landlords, 92 per cent. resulted in increases over previous rents, 5 per cent. in confirmations and 3 per cent. in reductions. Of applications by tenants, 9 per cent. resulted in increases, 6 per cent. in confirmations and 85 per cent. in reductions.