§ Mr. Kaufmanasked the Secretary of State for the Environment, following the statement of the Secretary of State for Wales insisting on an increase in maintenance and management expenditure of 7 per cent. whether this is also the policy for England; and what the average rent increase weekly will be in addition to the 85p already announced.
§ Mr. Heseltine[pursuant to his reply, 26 November 1982, c. 595]: The right hon. Gentleman has misunderstood the statement by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales. It related to the 7 per cent. increase in the support for management and maintenance expenditure which will be taken into account in calculations of housing subsidy for Welsh authorities for 1983–84. The actual level of management and maintenance expenditure and of council house rents is for each authority to decide for itself. As far as authorities in England are concerned, I announced determinations for 1983–84 in respect of reckonable expenditure on management and maintenance and of reckonable income on 25 November in an answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Reading, North (Mr. Durant).—[Vol. 32, c. 559–61.]