Written question asked by Clive Efford (Labour) on Wednesday, 6 December 2000, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 14 December 2000. It was answered by Chris Mullin (Labour) on Thursday, 14 December 2000 on behalf of the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions.

Dept of the Environment Transport and the Regions

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, how many appeals have been made against rent increases approved by the rent officers in each of the last four years; and how many have resulted in a higher rent being imposed for (a) private landlords and (b) registered social landlords. - Includes table.

Answer: Mr. Efford: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many appeals have been made against rent increases approved by the rent officers in each of the last four years; and how many have resulted in a higher rent being imposed for (a) private landlords and (b) registered social landlords. [141651] Mr. Mullin: Consistent information on the number of appeals (in England) against rent officer fair rent decisions is available from 1996-97, as follows: _________________________________________________________________________________________________. Year Number 1996-97 7,653 1997-98 6,265 1998-99 7,754 _________________________________________________________________________________________________. Data for 1999-2000 are not yet available. The results of these appeals (the percentage of appeals that lead to lower, unchanged and higher rents) are published in "Rent Officer Statistics" but without a separate split by private landlords and registered social landlords. Analysis of the 1998-99 appeals against fair rents shows the following figures: _________________________________________________________________________________________________. Private landlords Registered social landlords Percentage of appeals resulting in: Lower rent 11 13 Unchanged rent 29 16 Higher rent 60 71 _________________________________________________________________________________________________.

Secondary information