HC Deb 17 February 1942 vol 377 cc1660-1W
Rear-Admiral Beamish

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer the position of the owner of a property damaged by enemy action, the re-establishment of which has been agreed to, and urged by a war agricultural committee and the Ministry of Agriculture, is supported by a regional war damage commission, and a licence for materials, No. C.L. B/12/3412 granted by the Ministry of Works and Buildings but for which the owner is unable to provide the necessary finance; and whether such finance has been provided in similar instances is now obtainable and from whom?

Sir K. Wood

The War Damage Commission has made arrangements to give priority in such cases to applications for payment on the completion of the work, or, in large works, to the payment of instalments as sections of the work are completed. In these circumstances, the person interested in the damaged property should have no difficulty in securing a contractor to carry out the work on the usual credit terms. If, however, he is unable to do so, the Commission will consider whether it is a case for special treatment provided the person concerned obtains from his county war agricultural committee a certificate that an advance would have been made under the Essential Building and Plant (Repair of War Damage) Act, 1939.

Mr. Rostron Duckworth

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether claims for repair work assessed by local authorities to bombed houses are presented to the War Damage Commission by the local authorities concerned or by the victims of the damage?

Sir K. Wood

Claims for repair work to damaged houses carried out by local authorities are presented to the War Damage Commission by the local authorities concerned, but the owners are asked in such circumstances to return the claim form issued to them by the Commission with a note to the effect that all the repairs have been done or ordered by the local authority.