Oral Answers to Questions — Housing – in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 25 March 1969.
asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government if he will take steps to provide that all housing authorities should make a minimum percentage rate contribution to their housing revenue account.
My present view is that circumstances vary too much between housing authorities for a compulsory minimum contribution to be desirable but housing authorities should give serious consideration to the desirability of a contribution from the rates where this would avoid steep or harsh increases in rents.
Is my hon. Friend aware that the Prices and Incomes Board found that good new municipal housing was an important amenity value to the community as a whole? This being so, surely it is important that the community as a whole should make some contribution to the recurrent cost of it?
The board was not in favour of a general universal contribution, although it did recognise the importance of a community contribution in some cases.