Housing Minister to meet local tenants - Burstow

3.26.00pm GMT Mon 2nd Mar 2009

Paul Burstow, MP for Sutton and Cheam, held a parliamentary debate last Thursday calling for the Treasury to stop profiting at the expense of the council tenants in his constituency and has secured a meeting with the Government Minister responsible.

Mr Burstow challenged Iain Wright MP, a Communities and Local Government Minister, as to why tenants in the London Borough of Sutton currently pay 38p in every £1 of their rent to the Treasury; what is termed a 'negative subsidy' but is effectively a tax on all rent payers.

After citing specific examples from the Chaucer, Collingwood, Shanklin and Benhill estates where renovation is urgently needed, Mr Burstow expressed his frustration that the Government will take £10.5 million out of the Borough of Sutton in the coming year and asked Mr Wright to meet with himself and a delegation of tenants from his constituency.

Speaking after the debate Mr Burstow said.

'When tenants pay their rent they should be able to expect the money will be spent on their homes and neighbourhood. It is just plain wrong for the Government to be profiting from tenants in this way.

'There is something inherently wrong with a system which forces areas of critical need to finance those who are in chronic need.

'On the 25th March members of the Sutton Federation of Tenants and Residents Association will be presenting a petition to Downing Street calling for this mugging by the Treasury to end. I'm pleased that the Minister has agreed to a meeting and I only hope that the Government will respond to this pressure and see sense.'

ENDS