§ Mr. Orbachasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will set out his reasons for considering that it is inappropriate to the task of rent scrutiny boards that the public be permitted to attend their hearings.
§ Mr. ChannonThese boards are engaged on a task of assessment. This involves study and discussion by board members of the provisional assessments of the local authorities, and the making of visits. The boards' conclusions together with reasons for any changes to the provisional assessments are made public.
§ Mr. Hardyasked the Secretary of State for the Environment who are the members of rent scrutiny boards in Yorkshire and Humberside; and at what level of payment each of them was apppointed.
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§ Mr. ChannonAs I told the hon. Member for Swindon (Mr. David Stoddart) in reply to his Question on 25th October, it is for the president of the area rent assessment panel to nominate from his panel members of rent scrutiny boards as and when required; and a list of all rent assessment panel members is in the Library. The Yorkshire panel president has so far nominated 61 boards in his panel area.
As I told the hon. Members for Bristol, South (Mr. Michael Cocks), Swindon, Kingston upon Hull, North (Mr. McNamara) and Mansfield (Mr. Concannon) in reply to their Questions of the same date, the daily fee payable throughout the country is £27 for chairmen, £25 for lawyer and valuer members and £15 for lay members. Half-day fees are payable as appropriate.—[Vol. 861, c. 642–5.]
§ Mr. Hardyasked the Secretary of State for the Environment on how many days the rent scrutiny board has sat in Yorkshire; and what was the average time taken by the board per 1,000 houses considered.
§ Mr. ChannonSixty-one rent scrutiny boards have so far been appointed by the Yorkshire panel president. Sittings represent only part of the time spent by boards on scrutiny work. It is impracticable to relate the time board members spend on this work to the number of houses considered.