§ 21. Mr. Robert Hughesasked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many people now receive a reduced rent rebate consequent on the implementation of the Housing (Financial Provisions) (Scotland) Act 1972.
§ Mr. Gordon CampbellUnder Schedule 2 to the Housing (Financial Provisions) (Scotland) Act 1972, a local authority may grant an additional rebate to any tenant who might otherwise be less favourably treated under the model scheme than he was under the scheme previously operated by the authority. Information is not available centrally for comparing individual rebates before and after the Act, but the provision to which I have referred enables any reduction in rebate entitlement to be avoided or minimised.
§ 32. Mr. Sproatasked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is his latest estimate of the number of tenants living in private furnished rented accommodation in Scotland who receive rent allowances for the first time.
§ Mr. Gordon CampbellThere are currently estimated to be some 28,000 tenants in privately-owned furnished accommodation in Scotland and a significant number of these will qualify for rent allowances under forthcoming legislation. Because information is not available about the personal circumstances of such tenants, it is not possible to make a precise estimate.
§ 44. Mr. Robert Hughesasked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will now seek to amend the Housing (Financial Provisions) Scotland Act 1972 to enable all those who previously qualified for rent rebates to continue to do so.
§ Mr. Gordon CampbellNo.
§ Mr. Sproatasked the Secretary of State for Scotland, what is his latest 135W estimate of the number of tenants in private unfurnished rented accommodation who receive rent allowance under the Housing Finance Act for the first time.
§ Mr. Gordon CampbellThere are currently estimated to be some 150,000 tenants in privately-owned unfurnished accommodation in Scotland. A significant number of these will qualify for rent allowance under the Housing (Financial Provisions) (Scotland) Act 1972. Because information is not available about the personal circumstances of such tenants, it is not possible to make a precise estimate.
§ Mr. Sproatasked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is his estimate of the total amount that will be disbursed in rent rebates and rent allowances in Scotland in 1973; and what was the figure for rent rebates in Scotland in 1969.
§ Mr. Gordon CampbellI estimate that a total of £17 million may be disbursed in 1973–74. The 1969 figure was £1.8 million.
§ Mr. MacArthurasked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many tenants of private accommodation will lose their rent allowances because of the refusal of certain local authorities to implement the Housing (Financial Provisions) (Scotland) Act 1972.
§ Mr. Gordon CampbellComprehensive information is not available, because in many areas individual entitlements will not have been assessed. The number of council tenants who are being deprived of more generous rebates under the Act must be considerable, and there are perhaps 100,000 private tenants in the areas of authorites which have said they are not implementing the Act.