§ Mr. Onslowasked the Secretary of State for Defence what provision is made to reimburse Service house owners for 57W legal and other expenses incurred in recovering possession of their houses where these have been let to tenants who refuse to vacate them without a court order.
§ Mr. William RodgersNone. Service personnel in common with all other house owners may apply to the court for an award of costs when seeking an order for possession.
§ Mr. Onslowasked the Secretary of State for Defence how many cases are known to his Department in which Service house owners have been obliged to obtain a court order to recover possession of their houses under the Rent Act 1974.
§ Mr. William RodgersNo records are maintained of court orders obtained by individuals, but a small number of cases have come to the notice of the Department.
§ Mr. Onslowasked the Secretary of State for Defence how many cases are known to his Department in which a married Service man posted overseas has elected to take up single accommodation because his wife is remaining at home; and how many of these cases are due to the workings of the Rent Act 1974.
§ Mr. William RodgersIt is not uncommon for a married Service man to occupy single accommodation on posting overseas while his wife remains in the family home in the United Kingdom. There are approximately 5,300 such cases in the three Services at the present time. Families may decide on such an arrangement for a variety of reasons; for example, to secure continuity of children's education. Since the 1974 Rent Act safeguards the rights of repossession of Service house owners on their return from overseas I would not expect that Act in itself to lead to a significant extension of family separation in the circumstances described.
§ Mr. Onslowasked the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the effect of the Rent Act 1974 on house purchase by members of the Services.
§ Mr. William RodgersI have no evidence that the 1974 Act has had any significant effect on the incidence of house purchase by members of the Forces.
58W
§ Mr. Onslowasked the Secretary of State for Defence what public funds have so far been disbursed under the scheme to repay to Service houseowners the legal expenses incurred in drawing up a formal legal agreement to protect their right to repossession of their homes.
§ Mr. William RodgersAbout £120 for the Royal Navy and RAF together. In the case of the Army the amount cannot readily be calculated
§ Mr. Boscawenasked the Secretary of State for Defence how many cases have been brought to his attention where a Service man returning from overseas to a home posting has been unable to obtain repossession of his house from a protected tenant having served the required notice, for periods from two to six months, and exceeding six months, under the Rent Act 1974.
§ Mr. William RodgersThere are no known cases where a Service man returning from an overseas posting has failed to obtain repossession of his house in due course. No records are maintained of the length of time it has taken to obtain repossession in individual cases.
§ Mr. Boscawenasked the Secretary of State for Defence how many cases of distress have been drawn to his attention among house owners in the Services due to their having had undue difficulty in obtaining repossession of their houses from protected tenants under the Rent Acts 1965 and 1974.
§ Mr. William RodgersVery few, but I am aware that the effects of the Rent Acts cause some concern in the Forces. As the hon. Member knows, an instruction has been issued to the Services explaining fully the position of house owners under the legislation.
§ Mr. Boscawenasked the Secretary of State for Defence how many cases have been drawn to his attention where a Service man returning from an overseas posting has failed to satisfy the court that he needs repossession of his house from a protected tenant under the Rent Act 1974.
§ Mr. William RodgersNone.