§ Mr. Parryasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the estimated effect on council rents in the city of Liverpool as a result of Government directives.
§ Mr. Geoffrey FinsbergSince decisions on rent levels remain the statutory responsibility of local housing authorities, I refer the hon. Member to the city of Liverpool for information on what decisions it has taken.
§ Mr. Christopher Priceasked the Secretary of State for the Environment further to his statement, Official Report, 146W 16 December 1980, column 218, what he regards as reasonable levels of increases for ratepayers in the Greater London area.
§ Mr. HeseltineIt would be premature at present to try to predict rate levels; and it would be inappropriate to give any guidelines as to what might be a reasonable increase for London authorities because their circumstances vary so much, and in each case can only be properly weighed up by the authority itself. I can say, however, that if authorities fail to make expenditure cuts of the order the Government have indicated they may well find themselves having to make quite unreasonable rate increases.