§ Mr. Lathamasked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether it is the intention of the Government that rents determined by rent scrutiny boards under the Housing Finance Bill shall correspond to registered fair rents for comparable dwellings in the private sector; and whether it will be open to private tenants to object to the rents determined for their dwellings on the grounds that comparable rents for council dwellings are lower, and vice versa.
§ Mr. AmeryA well established method of assessing a fair rent is to refer to the registered rents of comparable dwellings. A private tenant may offer whatever evidence he wishes to support an application for registration to a rent officer or on an appeal. It is for the rent officer or rent assessment committee to judge in each case how much weight they should attach to evidence of comparables.
§ Mr. William Priceasked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many councils in the West Midlands have now sent him estimates of average rents under the fair rents proposals; and whether he will publish the figures in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
§ Mr. AmeryThe only estimate received is from Birmingham CBC. The average fair rent estimated by the Council is £3.32 per week.