§ Mr. George Cunninghamasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will use his powers under the Housing Finance Act to authorise a local authority which has fixed a provisional fair rent in respect of a dwelling to reduce to the same level provisional fair rents for identical dwellings fixed by a predecessor authority.
§ Mr. FreesonMy right hon. Friend has no power to give such an authorisation. But the Government propose, through the Housing Rents and Subsidies Bill now before the House, to restore to local authorities the right to fix whatever rents for their dwellings they consider reasonable.