§ 82. Mr. Ashtonasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether, following the report of the National Board for Prices and Incomes on the beer price increase of 2d. per pint, he 413W will direct the National Board for Prices and Incomes to investigate the proposed rent increase of up to 500 per cent. by Whitbread and Home Brewery to its public house tenants, and impose a standstill order before 31st March.
§ Mr. HoyIn their Report on Beer Prices the Board noted that rents of brewers' tenanted public houses are at a low level, and that increases had been withheld for several years because of the virtual standstill in public bar beer prices. The Home Brewery increases have been made following their first general review of rents for over ten years. All Whit-breads rents have been frozen since 1966 and some for much longer; the high percentage increases relate to rents which have been of £1 or £2 per week, or even less. I am satisfied that a further reference to the Board would not be justified.