§ Mr. ColemanTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list for(a) England and (b) London the average rent in (i) 1989–90, (ii) 1992–93, (iii) 1995–96, (iv) 1998–99 and (v) 1999–2000 (A) in pounds per week and (B) as a percentage of the relevant bottom quartile and bottom decile male earnings for (1) the average council dwelling, (2) the average housing association dwelling and (3) the average three room dwelling rented by a private tenant claiming Housing Benefit referred to the rent officer. [140997]
§ Mr. MullinThe available figures are given in the table. The earnings figures used in the answer are of full-time manual male employees. In many cases tenants will have much or all of the rent met by Housing Benefit.
782W
Local authority rents Average rent Rent expressed as percentage of: Year £ per week lower decile earnings lower quartile earnings England 1989–90 20.86 14.8 11.7 1992–93 30.84 19.1 15.2 1995–96 38.41 22.0 17.5 1998–99 42.33 21.7 17.3 1999–2000 43.92 n/a n/a London 1989–90 24.65 16.0 12.2 1992–93 41.777 23.5 18.3 1995–96 50.76 27.4 21.0 1998–99 55.44 27.1 20.6 1999–2000 58.00 n/a n/a Note
The local authority average weekly unrebated rent per financial year
Housing Association/RSL rents Average rent Rent expressed as percentage of: Year £ per week lower decile earnings lower quartile earnings England 1989–90 n/a n/a n/a 1992–93 34.44 21.3 17.0 1995–96 44.00 25.2 20.0 1998–99 51.68 26.5 21.1 1999–2000 52.95 n/a n/a London 1989–90 n/a n/a n/a 1992–93 40.25 22.5 17.7 1995–96 50.28 27.1 20.8 1998–99 59.28 29.0 22.0 1999–2000 61.36 n/a n/a Notes
The above figures are net weekly rents, excluding service charges
The 1992–93 figures for London is indicative only
The 1999–2000 figures are provisional and unpublished
Source
Housing Corporation, HAR/10 and RSR
Average rent paid by private tenants claiming housing benefit and referred to a rent officer Average rent Rent expressed as percentage of: Year £ per week lower decile earnings lower quartile earnings England 1989–90 40.23 28.5 22.6 1992–93 59.88 37.1 29.6 1995–96 69.73 39.9 31.7 1998–99 72.84 37.4 29.7 1999–2000 n/a n/a n/a London 1989–90 57.62 37.3 28.5 1992–93 82.62 46.3 36.3 1995–96 97.23 52.5 40.3 1998–99 108.89 53.2 40.4 1999–2000 n/a n/a n/a Note
The above figures are the average rents determined for benefit purposes and cover all private lettings and all sizes of dwelling referred to rent officers
Source
Rent Officer Statistics, published by DETR