§ Mr. BradleyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will give the cumulative percentage increase for rents in the private sector since 1979.
§ Mrs. RoeNo direct measure is available of the increase in private housing rents since 1979, for the reasons outlined in my reply to the hon. Member for Hammersmith (Mr. Soley) on 27 June at column156. However, from the figures given in that reply for unfurnished tenancies other than housing association tenancies, it is estimated that private rents in England rose by about 128 per cent. from 1979 to 1987.