CAB129-78 — Page 33

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(THIS DOCUMENT IS THE PROPERTY OF HER BRITANNIC MAJESTY'S GOVERNMENT)

SECRET

C.P.(55) 160

19th October, 1955

CABINET

COPY NO. 57

HOUSING SUBSIDIES BILL

Memorandum by the Minister of Housing and Local Government

Rent Restriction

I was asked to circulate to the Cabinet a draft of the reference I proposed to make in my statement about housing subsidies, to the problem of rent control. (C.M.(55) 35th Conclusions, Minute 3).

2.

This reference will have to be related to the statement as a whole, which I have not yet had time to complete. However, I would propose to include in it a few sentences, broadly on the following lines:

"The Government recognise that the level of rents of Council houses and that of comparable privately-owned houses are inter-related. We have, therefore, decided to review the whole structure of the Rent Acts, with a view to considering what changes are desirable in the existing system of rent control. We shall announce our conclusions in due course".

Subsidies for "Overspill"

3.

Following upon a meeting which I had yesterday with representatives of some of the large congested cities (London, Birmingham, Manchester, etc.) my attention has been drawn to the fact that an amend- ment is necessary to the Annex to my Paper on housing subsidies (C.P.(55) 155). At the end of the first sentence in paragraph 2(c) the following words should be added:

"or for houses provided by the local authority of a congested area as part of an especially large scheme for the accommodation of its overspill population in some other area (other than development on the fringe of the congested city itself)".

Ministry of Housing and Local Government, Page 33 of 321

S.W.1.

19th October, 1955.

D.S.

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Y

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