HC Deb 27 May 1919 vol 116 cc1110-4

(1) Where a local authority have acquired or appropriated any land for the purposes of Part III. of the principal Act, then, without prejudice to any of their other powers under that Act, the authority may—

  1. (a) lay out and construct public streets or roads and open spaces on the land;
  2. (b)with the consent of the Local Government Board sell or lease the land or part thereof 1111 to any person for the purpose and under the condition that that person will erect and maintain thereon such number of houses suitable for the working classes as may be fixed by the local authority in accordance with plans approved by them, and when necessary will lay out and construct public streets or roads and open spaces on the land, or will use the land for purposes which, in the opinion of the local authority, are necessary or desirable for or incidental to the development of the land as a building estate in accordance with plans approved by the local authority;
  3. (c) with the consent of the Local Government Board, sell the land or exchange it for land better adapted for those purposes, either with or without paying or receiving any money for equality of exchange;
  4. (d) with the consent of the Local Government Board sell or lease any houses on the land or erected by them on the land, subject to such covenants and conditions as they may think fit to impose either in regard to the maintenance of the houses as houses for the working classes or otherwise in regard to the use of the houses.

Provided that it shall be a condition of such sale or lease that the houses shall not be sold or leased to an employer for the purpose of housing persons in his employment.

(3) Land sold or leased under the provisions of this Section shall be sold or leased at the best price or for the best rent that can reasonably be obtained, and any capital money received in respect of any transaction under this Section shall be applied in or towards the purchase of other land for the purposes of Part III. of the principal Act, or with the consent of the Local Government Board to any purpose, including the repayment of borrowed money, to which capital money may be properly applied.

The PRESIDENT Of the LOCAL GOVERNMENT BOARD (Dr. Addison)

I beg to move, at the end of Sub-section (1, a), to add the words including the provision, maintenance, and im-[...] of houses and gardens, and other works or buildings for, or for the convenience of persons belonging to the working classes and other persons. These words are desirable for purposes which, in the opinion of the local authority are necessary, incidentally to the development of the land as a building estate. It was felt in the Committee that there might be uncertainty as to whether these matters were included, and, therefore, I promised to bring up a form of words which would make the matter quite clear.

Mr. SPEAKER

The hon. Member for Fulham has handed in an Amendment providing that the schedules to Clause 12 (3) of the Housing of the Working Classes Act, 1903, shall not apply to this Act. I am afraid that this is not relevant here. This Amendment covers not only working class, but other houses.

Colonel Sir H. NORRIS

My difficulty is as to the insertion of this Amendment as a new Clause. There was an Amendment put down by my hon. Friend the Member for Wood Green, and when it could not be dealt with in connection with that, I desired to introduce this Amendment as a new Clause. I do not care particularly about having it in this Amendment if the right hon. Gentleman will give me a promise that he will put it in in some other way.

Mr. SPEAKER

My endeavour is to keep it out, and for this reason. By extending the benefits of the Bill to other classes you are increasing the charge, and. that cannot be done on Report. It must be done on the Committee stage.

Sir H. NORRIS

That is not my fault. The matter was raised in the Committee, and it was in deference to the wish of the right hon. Gentleman in charge of the Bill that the matter was deferred to the Report stage. The Amendment down in the name of my hon. Friend the Member for Wood Green was withdrawn on the suggestion that on the Report stage some form of words would be introduced.

Dr. ADDISON

I am sorry to differ in my recollection from my hon. Friend, but the Amendment of the hon. Member for Wood Green and an Amendment raising the same subject, was the topic of Debate in Committee, and I think that finally the majority of the Committee took the view that we could not with advantage attempt to define working classes in this Bill.

Mr. SPEAKER

This Amendment includes not only working classes but other persons. Therefore, no object is served by attempting to define the words "working classes" in this part of the Bill, at all events.

Sir H. NORRIS

I am not attempting to define the words "working classes" I am trying to prevent a definition which has been applied in another Act being applied in this Act, because it limits the wages of the working classes to 30s. a week, which is absurd.

Mr. SPEAKER

This particular form contains the words, "working classes and other persons." This is not a suitable Clause in which to attempt a general de- finition of the term "working classes," even if such a definition could be inserted in this Bill.

Mr. G. LOCKER-LAMPSON

Would it be in order if my right hon. Friend were prepared to tell us what he includes in the term "working classes"? That would be very useful, because at present there are three definitions of the words "working classes." We have got the Municipal Corporations Act of 1882 and——

Mr. SPEAKER

This does not arise on the Amendment. This Amendment says, "working classes and other persons," and it would be perfectly immaterial what the definition of "working classes" was. I assume that the hon. Member and myself would come within the definition of that class.

Amendment agreed to.

Mr. N. CHAMBERLAIN

I beg to move, at the end of Sub-section (1, d), to add the words and upon any such sale they may, if they think fit, agree to the price being paid by instalments or to payment of part thereof being secured by a mortgage of the premises. This Amendment was drafted at the instance of the Association of Municipal Corporations, and is for the purpose of allowing any such sale by the local authority to be paid for by instalments. If there is any intention to sell a house to members of the working classes it is very desirable to have words of this kind inserted in the Clause.

Mr. NEAL

T beg to second the Amendment.

Dr. ADDISON

It is quite a useful Amendment, and I shall be glad to accept it.

Amendment agreed to.

Dr. ADDISON

I beg to move to leave out the words sold or leased to an employer and insert instead thereof the words used by any person for the time being having any interest therein. This Amendment is one which I undertook to bring forward. The general intention is that the local authorities shall not sell houses for the purpose of their becoming tied houses. This was the intention of the Committee, and I said that the words to be put in required very careful consideration. It may be that a person would purchase houses and sell them to some- body else for the purpose of using them as tied houses, and these words are introduced to prevent that being done. They would cover the first or second stage of these sales.

Amendment agreed to.

Dr. ADDISON

I beg to move, in Subsection (3), after the word "land," to insert the words "and houses."

We had a discussion in Committee as to the conditions in which a number of houses might be sold. Sub-section (3) relates only to land, and it was felt that there was no sufficient reason for not including houses, but we could not include them on the same terms as those applying to land, that they shall be sold or leased at the; best price or for the best rent that can reasonably be obtained. It might be possible that the best price to be obtained for a house provided for the working classes was a price to be realised by selling it for a week-end cottage. That would not be in accordance with the intention of the Act, and therefore we propose to insert the words which are included in the Amendment which follows, so that the houses should be used by persons of the working classes or in a certain condition which would regulate the price which they would give.

Amendment agreed to.

Further Amendment made: After the word "obtained" insert the words, having regard to any condition imposed." — [Dr. Addison.]