§ Mr. Tugendhatasked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will introduce a maximum percentage ceiling for rent increases in the private sector of residential accommodation, based on the rent at the time of application.
§ Mr. FreesonThis has been considered, but the Government decided instead to introduce the phasing provisions of the Housing Rents and Subsidies Act 1975. These mean that, if there is a substantial increase in a private tenant's rent as the result of a new rent being registered by a rent officer or rent assessment committee, the tenant will not be faced with paying the new rent in full until the beginning of the third year from the date of registration. Nevertheless we fully recognise the need to re-examine the present system of rent fixing and this is one of the principal matters to be con-14W sidered in the course of the review of the Rent Acts.