§ Mr. Barnettasked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what is his estimate of the average weekly increase in council house rents needed for existing dwellings, in shillings, on the basis that housing subsidies to Heywood Borough and Royton, Crampton, Miln-row, Littleborough, Wardle and Whitworth Urban District Councils are abolished, excepting old people's accommodation; and what is the estimated weekly increase needed to offset the subsidy on dwellings under construction at 1st January, 1970.
§ Mr. Denis Howell:In the light of information provided by the councils I estimate that the cost of abolishing housing subsidies for existing dwellings, excepting old people's accommodation, and of withdrawing them from dwellings under construction on 1st January, 1970, would, in 1969–70, have been equivalent to increases in council house rents of the order shown in the following table.
§ Mr. Denis Howell:In the light of information provided by the Council I estimate that the cost to Warley County Borough Council of abolishing housing subsidies for existing dwellings, excepting old people's accommodation, would, in 1969–70, have been equivalent to an average increase in council house rents of about 13s. a week in a 52-week rent year.
If subsidies were withdrawn from dwellings under construction on 1st January, 39W 1970, the cost might be equivalent to rent increases in the range 65s. to 85s. a week if applied only to the rents of those dwellings, or in the range 5s. to 6s. a week if pooled over the whole of the authority's housing stock.