Hull MP claims victory on Council rents

Diana Johnson MP has welcomed news that Hull City Council has voted to take up the Government's offer of help to cut rent hikes for hard-pressed council tenants.

The decision was taken in response to a Labour councillors' motion at a special meeting of Hull City Council this afternoon (3 April).

Housing Minister, Margaret Beckett MP, recently announced that the Government was inviting local authorities to apply for extra cash to halve average guideline rent increases from 6.2 per cent to 3.1 per cent.

The change means that tenants should see a marked drop in their proposed average rent increase for the coming year providing that the help is claimed by their local authority before 24 April.

Diana recently wrote to Hull's Council Leader urging him to accept this new Government help for Council tenants.

Diana Johnson MP said: "This Labour Government help will save many hard-pressed Council tenants a lot of money over a year.

"I am pleased that Hull City Council has voted to claim this extra Government cash, in response to a motion from Labour councillors.

"It is only regrettable that on other issues, such as free swimming, Hull's Lib Dem Council has opted to miss out on Government funding that other councils around the country are getting."

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