HC Deb 25 May 1978 vol 950 c691W
Mr. Budgen

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment by how much in (a) 1977 and (b) 1977–78 a reduction of £100 million subsidy to local authority housing, new town housing and Scottish Special Housing Association housing would (a) increase the average rebated council or new town house rent, (b) increase the average unrebated council or new town house rent, and (c) increase the cost to national and local government of rent rebate payments.

Mr. Armstrong

It is estimated that a reduction of £100 million in general housing subsidies—excluding rent rebate subsidies—to local authorities and new towns in Great Britain and the Special Scottish Housing Association in the financial year 1977–78 would, if the full reduction were met by rent rises alone, increase average unrebated rents by about 31p per week, average rebated rents—not counting rebates paid indirectly to recipients of supplementary benefit—by about 27p per week, and the total cost of rent rebates by £23 million. These increases are each of the order of 6 per cent.

I regret that figures are not available on a calendar-year basis.