Rents

HC Deb 31 January 1975 vol 885 cc356-7W

Mr. Hardy

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether he will make a statement about Northern Ireland Housing Executive rents.

Mr. Concannon

The Housing Executive has been authorised to introduce from the beginning of April rent increases which will average around 60p per week, with a maximum increase of 75p. This will be the first rent increase which most public sector tenants in Northern Ireland will have had to pay since 1971 or earlier.

In order to help tenants on low incomes a rent rebate scheme on a similar basis to that operating in Great Britain will be introduced at the same time as the rent increases. Parliamentary approval will be sought to provision in the 1975–76 Estimates for the Government to meet the full cost of the rebate scheme.