asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what effect he anticipates the expenditure cuts announced in the Budget Statement of Wednesday 26 March will have on the level of council house rents, over the next three years.

For 1980–81 we have already made our advice to local authorities known through our rent increase guidelines. For further years, we shall take a view year by year on the levels of current and capital expenditure and issue appropriate guidelines closer to the periods.