§ Mr. Skeetasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the total cost to the ratepayers of the Government policy of permitting the freezing of rents in the London area.
§ Mr. CroslandThis information is not available. The effect of the rent freeze on local authority housing has varied from authority to authority according to the state of the housing revenue accounts. But for most authorities 80 per cent. of any shortfall in the housing revenue account in 1974–75 has been met by housing subsidies, and the whole of the remainder has been taken into account in the rate support grant settlement for this year.