52. Mr. T. THOMSONasked the Minister of Health whether his attention has been drawn to the diverse judgments given by County Court Judges under the Rent and Mortgage Interest Restrictions Act, 1923, as to the circumstances under which it is reasonable to make an order for possession; and will he say what steps 512 he proposes to take to secure uniformity of action on this matter throughout the country?
§ Sir W. JOYNSON-HICKSThe question whether it is reasonable in any particular case to make an order for possession is one for the Court to determine, and I have, of course, no authority to intervene in any way. I have no reason to suppose, however, that the alleged diversity of the judgments is greater than is warranted by the almost infinite variety of the circumstances of the different cases which come before the Courts.
Mr. THOMSONIs the right hon. Baronet satisfied, from what he knows of the working of the Act, that it is working with that equity which his predecessor foreshadowed when the Bill was before the House?
§ Sir W. JOYNSON-HICKSIt is very difficult to answer that question, but I think so, on the whole.