§ Mr. Winnickasked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what estimate he has made of the average weekly increase in council house rents needed for existing dwellings, in shillings, on the basis that housing subsidies to Greater London Council were abolished, excepting old people's accommodation; and what is the estimated weekly increase needed to offset the subsidy on dwellings under construction on 1st January, 1970.
§ Mr. Denis HowellI estimate that the cost to the Greater London Council of abolishing housing subsidies for existing dwellings, excepting old people's accommodation, would, in 1969–70, be equivalent to an average increase in council house rents of about 16s. a week in a 52-week rent year.
If subsidies were withdrawn from dwellings under construction on 1st January, 1970, the cost might be equivalent to rent increases in the range of 60s. to 80s. a week if applied only to the rents of those dwellings, or in the range of 3s. to 4s. a week if pooled over the whole of the authority's housing stock.