§ Mr. Arthur Lewis (West Ham, North)I beg to move,
That leave be given to bring in a Bill to amend the Rent Act, 1957, by postponing the date until which the tenants of certain dwelling-houses decontrolled under the provisions of subsection (1) of section eleven of that Act shall be entitled to retain possession of those houses; and for purposes connected with that amendment.The Bill that I seek leave to introduce is a very small one, but it is of vital importance to the peace of mind and happiness of many thousands of tenants throughout the length and breadth of England, Scotland and Wales. I hope that it will commend itself to every hon. Member. I am certain that it will be warmly welcomed by hundreds of thousands of the poorest tenants, especially in the constituency of Kelvingrove, in Scotland, and Rochdale, in Lancashire. I am quite certain that the people in those constituencies will watch the debate on this Motion to see what happens, and act accordingly when the by-elections in those constituencies take place.The object of the Bill is quite simple. It can be stated quite shortly, and I hope that it is non-controversial. All that it seeks to do is to insert an amendment in the 1957 Rent Act whereby the period laid down in the notices of eviction which have now been given—and which at present expire in October of this year—shall be extended for twelve months, until October, 1959. That will mean that about 800,000 tenants who are now liable to eviction will have at least a further twelve months' grace. Many of my hon. Friends ask why they should be given only twelve months' grace, and why evictions should not be postponed until the next General Election, in view of the fact that the Government introduced the Rent Act without mentioning it to the electorate. As you know, Mr. Speaker, I am non-controversial, and I do not want to make things difficult, so I am suggesting a period of twelve months so that these tenants may have a little peace of mind for that extra time.
As the Act now stands, in October of this year thousands of tenants will be evicted—not may be, but will be. Indeed, thousands of tenants, including constituents of almost every hon. Member, 214 have already received notices to quit from their landlords. Most of those tenants have not even had the opportunity of discussing the question of the maintenance of their dwellings upon a higher rent basis; the landlords have not given them the opportunity even of discussing what might be termed a more adequate rent. The tenants have just been told that, irrespective of the rights or wrongs of the case, out they go in October, 1958.
I know that every hon. Member can quote cases of extreme hardship, and that many tragedies have been caused among some of these poor, helpless people. [Laughter.] It is no good hon. Members opposite laughing. I have experience of such cases, and I challenge hon. Members to say that there are not many cases where great tragedy is being caused.
Together with my hon. and learned Friend the Member for West Ham, South (Mr. Elwyn Jones) I have the rather doubtful honour of representing the worst-bombed borough in the country—West Ham. During the war West Ham lost over one-third of all types of living accommodation, and many of its people were bombed out not once but two, three and even four times. They used to traipse back into their houses even if there were no roofs, and no glass in the windows, and even though the ceilings were falling down. They went back and put up with conditions, and made do. They kept going back, and they stayed in their homes throughout the heavy raids which took place on London, and particularly upon the East End.
They stayed, even though the house was falling down around them. Why? Because it was their home and where, in many cases, they had been born and bred. It was the place which recalled happy memories of their childhood; from where they got married and, in some cases, where they brought up their children. Now, through no fault of their own, they are given notice to quit. Some families have lived in the same house for forty or fifty years, and now they are told that they must go. How heartless and wicked and cruel it is—[Laughter.] It is no use hon. Members opposite laughing. Many of them have two or three houses. If they are really anxious about this matter, let them give up one of their own country mansions and not just sit there laughing and jeering at what is really a wicked thing.
215 This state of affairs is a tragedy. I know that some people will say that the local council should help. But how can the council assist in such circumstances? In my borough we have an enormous housing problem. We lost one-third of all our houses during the war, which means that the local council cannot re-house the bombed-out people. In addition, the council must derequisition all its requisitioned houses because of the action of the Government. The council is also in an awkward position, because it has slum clearance problems to solve and as the slums are cleared the people must be re-housed. Therefore, it is particularly difficult, not only for my borough council but for every other London borough; and the same is true of every industrial borough where there is an urgent housing problem.
I have had cases referred to me—I have passed some of them on to the Minister—involving old ladies of 70 and 80 years of age. One was even 90. They received notice to quit on their birthdays. [Laughter.] It is no laughing matter. Hon. Members opposite have no feelings about such matters. How would they feel if their mother had received notice to quit on her ninetieth birthday? It is wicked of hon. Members opposite to laugh at such things.
§ Captain Richard Pilkington (Poole)On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. The hon. Member for West Ham, North (Mr. Lewis) has accused hon. Members on this side of the House of laughing at the plight of some of the people whose problems he is describing. Is it in order for the hon. Member to say what is quite untrue, because what hon. Members were laughing at was the provocative manner of the hon. Member for West Ham, North?
§ Mr. SpeakerIt is quite in order for the hon. Member for West Ham, North to say what he did.
§ Mr. LewisI will leave it to the House to judge. I noticed that hon. Members opposite were laughing and I assumed that what I was saying caused them to laugh.
There have been newspaper reports during the last few weeks of suicides of people who have received notices to quit. I am glad that the hon. Member for 216 Dulwich (Mr. Robert Jenkins) nods assent. He may have had this brought to his notice. I know that there are hon. Members opposite who feel about this matter. So I am hoping, as they are all British and would wish to act in a British way, that they will give me their support. I know that some landlords may consider this Motion anti-British, but it makes sense to us on this side of the House. I am sure that the hon. Member for Dulwich, and all hon. Members who are true Britons, do not like the present situation. I am told that the Minister of Housing and Local Government is meeting some hon. Members opposite who are worried about this matter. I understand that the hon. Members concerned represent marginal constituencies. If they feel worried about the situation they have an opportunity now to support this Motion.
Hon. Members opposite who wish to support the principle of the proposed Bill can do so without any fear of affecting the position of the Government. This would be a Private Member's Bill. They do not have to explain to their constituents that they had to vote against it to prevent the Government from falling. There is no fear of that happening. If, as I hope will be the case, leave is given to bring in the Bill, I suggest that hon. Members help by bringing pressure to bear on the Government to ensure its speedy passage through its various stages, even, if need be, by discussing it on the Floor of the House. If hon. Members do not do that, and oppose the Bill, I am confident that at the next General Election many thousands of tenants will remember which way hon. Members voted.
§ Mr. John Hay (Henley)I wish to oppose the Motion and I shall be briefer than was the hon. Member for West Ham, North (Mr. Lewis). The test is that the House is being asked to consider a Motion of which it has had quite inadequate notice. This Motion appeared on the Order Paper early this morning, it was handed in by the hon. Member last evening. It is, I think, coming rather close to an abuse of the procedure of the House—
§ Mr. LewisOn a point of order, Mr. Speaker. May I ask your guidance? If, as is the case, I give notice in accordance 217 with procedure, and the Clerks at the Table and you, Mr. Speaker, accept that it is in order, is it right for the hon. Member to impute that I am abusing the rules of the House? May I have the protection of the Chair?
§ Mr. SpeakerOrder. I am not concerned with whether what is said is right. I am concerned only with whether it is in order. The hon. Member for Henley (Mr. Hay) has not, so far, said anything which is out of order.
§ Mr. HayI said that it was coming rather close to an abuse of the procedure of the House to give so short a notice of a matter of this importance. The Opposition must not get up to tricks and larks of this kind.
That leads me to the second reason why I oppose the Motion. The hon. Member made clear what is his real motive, which is to use this House for the purpose of party propaganda. If that be not true, why did he find it necessary to refer to the coming by-elections at Kelvingrove and Rochdale? It would have been much more astute and artistic had the hon. Member put down this Motion for debate on the eve of the Rochdale by-election. He would have derived more propaganda value from it in that way.
The third reason for my opposition is that in the last Session we debated, most exhaustively and at great length, the question of the amount of time which should be given to tenants of houses decontrolled under the provisions of the Rent Act before they became liable to eviction. At that time hon. Members opposite claimed that the period of fifteen months which is in the Act was too short. Most hon. Members on this side of the House thought that the period of fifteen
§ months was about right. In any event, the House has decided in favour of that period and we cannot go on indefinitely thrashing over this matter again and again.
§ Up to the present, despite what the hon. Member for West Ham, North says, there is little evidence to show that hardship has as yet been caused by the provisions of the Rent Act—
§ Mr. Percy Shurmer (Birmingham, Sparkbrook)The hon. Member had better come to Birmingham.
§ Mr. Hay—and many of us who are in touch with these matters think it highly improbable that there will be many evictions after next October.
Even though one may be wrong about that, I consider that the granting of leave to the hon. Member for West Ham, North to introduce this Bill would have a serious effect. During the course of the fifteen months' period, a great many bargains will be struck between landlords and tenants. The evidence available shows that the bargains are reasonably fair. [HON. MEMBERS: "Oh."] If the proposed Bill were introduced and went through its subsequent stages it would inject uncertainty into negotiations going on between landlords and tenants.
The Act appears to be working well and it would be unwise to try to disturb a part of the Measure which has not yet had time to be fully worked out. For these reasons, I hope that the House will reject the Motion.
§ Question put, pursuant to Standing Order No. 12 (Motions for leave to bring in Bills and nomination of Select Committees at commencement of Public Business):—
§ The House divided: Ayes 173, Noes 238.
221| Division No. 29.] | AYES | [4.0 p.m. |
| Ainsley, J. W. | Bowles, F. G. | Craddock, George (Bradford, S.) |
| Allaun, Frank (Salford, E.) | Brockway, A. F. | Darling, George (Hillsborough) |
| Allen, Arthur (Bosworth) | Brown, Rt. Hon. George (Belper) | Davies, Ernest (Enfield, E.) |
| Allen, Scholefield (Crewe) | Burton, Miss F. E. | Davies, Harold (Leek) |
| Awbery, S. S. | Butler, Herbert (Hackney, C.) | Deer, G. |
| Bacon, Miss Alice | Butler, Mrs. Joyce (Wood Green) | de Freitas, Geoffrey |
| Balfour, A. | Callaghan, L. J. | Delargy, H. J. |
| Bellenger, Rt. Hon. F. J. | Carmichael, J. | Diamond, John |
| Benn, Hn. Wedgwood (Bristol, S.E.) | Champion, A. J. | Dodds, N. N. |
| Benson, G. | Chetwynd, G. R. | Ede, Rt. Hon. J. C. |
| Bevan, Rt. Hon. A. (Ebbw Vale) | Clunie, J. | Edelman, M. |
| Blackburn, F. | Coldrick, W. | Edwards, Rt. Hon. John (Brighouse) |
| Blyton, W. R. | Collick, P. H. (Birkenhead) | Edwards, Rt. Hon. Ness (Caerphilly) |
| Bottomley, Rt. Hon. A. G. | Collins, V. J. (Shoreditch & Finsbury) | Edwards, Robert (Bilston) |
| Bowden, H. W. (Leicester, S.W.) | Cove, W. G. | Edwards, W. J. (Stepney) |
| Evans, Albert (Islington, S.W.) | Lipton, Marcus | Robinson, Kenneth (St. Pancras, N. |
| Fernyhough, E. | Logan, D. G. | Rogers, George (Kensington, N.) |
| Fletcher, Eric | Mahon, Dr. J. Dickson | Ross, William |
| Gaitskell, Rt. Hon. H. T. N. | MacColl, J. E. | Royle, C. |
| George, Lady Megan Lloyd (Car'then) | MacDermot, Niall | Shinwell, Rt. Hon. E. |
| Gordon Walker, Rt. Hon. P. C. | McInnes, J. | Short, E. W. |
| Grenfell, Rt. Hon. D. R. | McKay, John (Wallsend) | Shurmer, P. L. E. |
| Grey, C. F. | McLeavy, Frank | Silverman, Julius (Aston) |
| Griffiths, David (Rother Valley) | MacMillan, M. K. (Western Isles) | Simmons, C. J. (Brierley Hill) |
| Griffiths, Rt. Hon. James (Llanelly) | MacPherson, Malcolm (Stirling) | Skeffington, A. M. |
| Hall, Rt. Hn. Glenvil (Colne Valley) | Mahon, Simon | Slater, Mrs. H. (Stoke, N.) |
| Harrison, J. (Nottingham, N.) | Mallalieu, E. L. (Brigg) | Snow, J. W. |
| Hastings, S. | Mason, Roy | Sorensen, R. W. |
| Hayman, F. H. | Mellish, R. J. | Soskice, Rt. Hon. Sir Frank |
| Healey, Denis | Mitchison, G. R. | Steele, T. |
| Henderson, Rt. Hn. A. (Rwly Regis) | Monslow, W. | Stewart, Michael (Fulham) |
| Herbison, Miss M. | Morris, Percy (Swansea, W.) | Stones, W. (Consett) |
| Hobson, C. R. (Keighley) | Morrison, Rt. Hn. Herbert (Lewis'm, S.) | Stross, Dr. Barnett (Stoke-on-Trent, C.) |
| Holmes, Horace | Moss, R. | Swingler, S. T. |
| Houghton, Douglas | Moyle, A. | Sylvester, G. O. |
| Howell, Charles (Perry Barr) | Neal, Harold (Bolsover) | Taylor, Bernard (Mansfield) |
| Hoy, J. H. | Oswald, T. | Thomas, George (Cardiff) |
| Hubbard, T. F. | Paget, R. T. | Thomson, George (Dundee, E.) |
| Hughes, Cledwyn (Anglesey) | Pannell, Charles (Leeds, W.) | Usborne, H. C. |
| Hughes, Emrys (S. Ayrshire) | Pargiter, G. A. | Viant, S. P. |
| Hughes, Hector (Aberdeen, N.) | Parker, J. | Warbey, W. N. |
| Hunter, A. E. | Parkin, B. T. | Watkins, T. E. |
| Hynd, H. (Accrington) | Paton, John | Wells, Percy (Faversham) |
| Hynd, J. B. (Attercliffe) | Pearson, A. | West, D. G. |
| Isaacs, Rt. Hon. G. A. | Peart, T. F. | Wheeldon, W. E. |
| Jager, George (Goole) | Plummer, Sir Leslie | White, Mrs. Eirene (E. Flint) |
| Jeger, Mrs. Lena (Holbn & St.Pncs, S.) | Popplewell, E. | Wilkins, W. A. |
| Jenkins, Roy (Stechford) | Prentice, R. E. | Williams, Rt. Hon. T. (Don Valley) |
| Johnson, James (Rugby) | Price, J. T. (Westhoughton) | Williams, W. R. (Openshaw) |
| Jones, David (The Hartlepools) | Proctor, W. T. | Willis, Eustace (Edinburgh, E.) |
| Jones, Elwyn (W. Ham, S.) | Randall, H. E. | Wilson, Rt. Hon. Harold (Huyton) |
| Kenyon, C. | Rankin, John | Winterbottom, Richard |
| Key, Rt. Hon. C. W. | Redhead, E. C. | Woodburn, Rt. Hon. A. |
| King, Dr. H. M. | Reid, William | Woof, R. E. |
| Lawson, G. M. | Rhodes, H. | Yates, V. (Ladywood) |
| Ledger, R. J. | Robens, Rt. Hon. A. | Younger, Rt. Hon. K. |
| Lee, Frederick (Newton) | Roberts, Albert (Normanton) | |
| Lee, Miss Jennie (Cannock) | Roberts, Goronwy (Caernarvon) | TELLERS FOR THE AYES |
| Mr. Gibson and Mr. Lewis. | ||
| NOES | ||
| Agnew, Sir Peter | Channon, Sir Henry | Goodhart, Philip |
| Aitken, W. T. | Chichester-Clark, R. | Gower, H. R. |
| Allan, R. A. (Paddington, S.) | Clarke, Brig. Terence (Portsmth, W.) | Graham, Sir Fergus |
| Alport, C. J. M. | Cole, Norman | Grant-Ferris, Wg Cdr. R. (Nantwich) |
| Amory, Rt. Hn. Heathcoat (Tiverton) | Conant, Maj. Sir Roger | Green, A. |
| Anstruther-Gray, Major Sir William | Cooke, Robert | Gresham Cooke, R. |
| Arbuthnot, John | Cooper, A. E. | Grimond, J |
| Armstrong, C. W. | Craddock, Beresford (Spelthorne) | Grimston, Sir Robert (Westbury) |
| Ashton, H. | Crowder, Sir John (Finchley) | Gurden, Harold |
| Astor, Hon. J. J. | Cunningham, Knox | Hall, John (Wycombe) |
| Atkins, H. E. | Currie, G. B. H. | Hare, Rt. Hon. J. H. |
| Baldock, Lt.-Cmdr. J. M. | Dance, J. C. G. | Harris, Frederic (Croydon, N.W.) |
| Baldwin, A. E. | Davidson, viscountees | Harris, Reader (Heston) |
| Balniel, Lord | D'Avigdor-Goldsmid, Sir Henry | Harrison, A. B. C. (Malden) |
| Barber, Anthony | Digby, Simon Wingfield | Harrison, Col. J. H. (Eye) |
| Barlow, Sir John | Donaldson, Cmdr. C. E. McA. | Harvey, Sir Arthur Vera (Macelesf'd) |
| Beamish, Col. Tufton | Drayson, G. B. | Harvey, John (Walthamstow, E.) |
| Bell, Philip (Bolton, E.) | du Cann, E. D. L. | Head, Rt. Hon. A. H. |
| Bell, Ronald (Bucks, S.) | Dugdale, Rt. Hn. Sir T. (Richmond) | Heald, Rt. Hon, Sir Lionel |
| Bevins, J. R. (Toxteth) | Duncan, Sir James | Heath, Rt. Hon. E. R. G. |
| Biggs-Davison, J. A. | Duthie, W. S. | Hicks-Beach, Maj. W. W. |
| Bingham, R. M. | Elliott, R. W. (N'castle upon Tyne, N.) | Hill, Rt. Hon. Charles (Luton) |
| Bishop, F. P. | Emmet, Hon. Mrs. Evelyn | Hill, Mrs. E. (Wythenshawe) |
| Black, C. W. | Fell, A. | Hill, John (S. Norfolk) |
| Bossom, Sir Alfred | Finlay, Graeme | Hinchingbrooke, Viscount |
| Boyle, Sir Edward | Fisher, Nigel | Hobson, John (Warwick & Leam'gt'n) |
| Braithwaite, Sir Albert (Harrow, W.) | Fletcher-Cooke, C. | Holland-Martin, C. J. |
| Bromley-Davenport, Lt.-Col. W. H. | Fraser, Hon. Hugh (Stone) | Holt, A. F. |
| Brooke, Rt. Hon. Henry | Fraser, Sir Ian (M'cmbe & Lonsdale) | Hope, Lord John |
| Brooman-White, R. C. | Freeth, Denzil | Hornby, R. P. |
| Browne, J. Nixon (Craigton) | Gammans, Lady | Hornsby-Smith, Miss M. P. |
| Bryan, P. | Garner-Evans, E. H. | Horobin, Sir Ian |
| Bullus, Wing Commander E. E. | Gibson-Watt, D. | Horsbrugh, Rt. Hon. Dame Florence |
| Burden, F. F. A. | Glover, D. | Howard, John (Test) |
| Butler, Rt. Hn. R. A. (Saffron Walden) | Glyn, Col. Richard H. | Hughes Hallett, Vice Admiral J |
| Campbell, Sir David | Godber, J. B. | Hughes-Young, M. K. C. |
| Cary, Sir Robert | Gomme-Duncan, Col. Sir Alan | Hulbert, Sir Norman |
| Hutchison, Michael Clark (E'b'gh, S.) | Marples, Rt. Hon. A. E. | Robson Brown, Sir William |
| Hutchison, SirlanClark (E'b'gh, W.) | Marshall, Douglas | Roper, Sir Harold |
| Hutchison, Sir James (Scotstoun) | Mathew, R. | Russell, R. S. |
| Hyde, Montgomery | Maudling, Rt. Hon. R. | Scott-Miller, Cmdr. R. |
| Hylton-Foster, Rt. Hon. Sir Harry | Maydon, Lt.-Comdr, S. L. C. | Sharples, R. C. |
| Irvine, Bryant Godman (Rye) | Medlicott, Sir Frank | Shepherd, William |
| Jennings, J. C. (Burton) | Milligan, Rt. Hon. W. R. | Smithers, Peter (Winchester) |
| Johnson, Dr. Donald (Carlisle) | Moore, Sir Thomas | Soames, Christopher |
| Johnson, Erie (Blackley) | Morrison, John (Salisbury) | Spearman, Sir Alexander |
| Joseph, Sir Keith | Mott-Radclyffe, Sir Charles | Speir, R. M. |
| Joynson-Hicks, Hon. Sir Lancelot | Nabarro, G. D. N. | Spans, Rt. Hn. Sir P. (Kens'gt'n, S.) |
| Keegan, D. | Heave, Airey | Stanley, Capt. Hon. Richard |
| Kerby, Capt. H. B. | Nicholls, Harmer | Steward, Sir William (Woolwich, W.) |
| Kerr, Sir Hamilton | Nicholson, Godfrey (Farnham) | Stoddart-Scott, Col. Sir Malcolm |
| Kershaw, J. A. | Nicolson, N. (B'n'm'th, E. & Che'ch) | Storey, S. |
| Kimball, M. | Nugent, G. R. H. | Stuart, Rt. Hon. James (Moray) |
| Kirk, P. M. | Oakshott, H. D. | Studholme, Sir Henry |
| Lancaster, Col. C. G. | O'Neill, Hn. Phelim (Co. Antrim, N.) | Sumner, W. D. M. (Orpington) |
| Leather, E. H. C. | Ormsby-Gore, Rt. Hon. W. D. | Teeling, W. |
| Leavey, J. A. | Orr, Capt. L. P. S. | Temple, John M. |
| Legge Bourke, Maj. E. A. H. | Orr-Ewing, Charles Ian (Hendon, N.) | Thomas, Leslie (Canterbury) |
| Legh, Hon. Peter (Petersfield) | Orr-Ewing, Sir Ian (Weston-S-Mare) | Thompson, Kenneth (Walton) |
| Lennox-Boyd, Rt. Hon. A. T. | Osborne, C. | Thompson, Lt.-Cdr. R. (Croydon, S.) |
| Lindsay, Hon. James (Devon, N.) | Page, R. G. | Thorneycroft, Rt. Hon. P. |
| Lindsay, Martin (Solihull) | Pannell, N. A. (Kirkdale) | Thornton-Kemsley, C. N. |
| Linstead, Sir H. N. | Partridge, E. | Tilney, John (Wavertree) |
| Lloyd, Maj. Sir Guy (Renfrew, E.) | Peel, W. J. | Turner, H. F. L. |
| Low, Rt. Hon. Sir Toby | Peyton, J. W. W. | Turton, Rt. Hon. R. H. |
| Lucas-Tooth, Sir Hugh | Pickthorn, K. W. M. | Vane, W. M. F. |
| McAdden, S. J. | Pike, Miss Mervyn | Vickers, Miss Joan |
| Macdonald, Sir Peter | Pilkington, Capt. R. A. | Vosper, Rt. Hon. D. F. |
| Mackeson, Brig. Sir Harry | Pitman, I. J. | Wade, D. W. |
| McKibbin, Alan | Pott, H. P. | Wakefield, Edward (Derbyshire, W.) |
| Mackie, J. H. (Galloway) | Powell, J. Enoch | Wall, Major Patrick |
| McLaughlin, Mrs. P. | Price, David (Eastleigh) | Ward, Rt. Hon. G. R. (Worcester) |
| Maclean, Sir Fitzroy (Lancaster) | Profumo, J. D. | Whitelaw, W. S. I. |
| McLean, Neil (Inverness) | Ramsden, J. E. | Williams, Paul (Sunderland, S.) |
| Macmillan, Maurice (Halifax) | Redmayne, M. | Wills, G. (Bridgwater) |
| Macpherson, Niall (Dumfries) | Remnant, Hon. P. | Wood, Hon. R. |
| Maitland, Cdr. J. F. W. (Horncastle) | Renton, D. L. M. | Woollam, John Victor |
| Maitland, Hon. Patrick (Lanark) | Rippon, A. G. F. | Yates, William (The Wrekin) |
| Markham, Major Sir Frank | Robertson, Sir David | |
| Marlowe, A. A. H. | Robinson, Sir Roland (Blackpool, S.) | TELLERS FOR THE NOES: |
| Sir Herbert Butcher and Mr. Hay |