§ 37. Mr. LEVYasked the Minister of Health how many slum-clearance areas have been marked out and how many protests he has received from property owners, as distinct from site owners, against condemnation without compensation of property which is in good condition 19 merely because it forms part of a slum-clearance area?
§ Mr. SHAKESPEAREUp to 28th February 2,083 areas had been declared by local authorities to be clearance areas. As regards the second part of the question, my right hon. Friend has received representations in favour of an amendment of the law but its present effect is not accurately indicated by my hon. Friend. Objections by property owners to the inclusion of houses and other buildings in clearance areas are frequent at the local inquiries held by inspectors of the Ministry before clearance area orders are confirmed, and houses or buildings shown to have been improperly included in an area are excluded from the confirmed order.
§ Mr. LEVYWhile thanking my hon. Friend for his lucid reply, may I ask him to make it known very widely that proper compensation will be paid in respect of good houses which may unfortunately be included in a slum clearance scheme?
§ Mr. SHAKESPEAREThat, of course, is so. A clearance area is a legal, not a geographical area, and that means that if a house is structurally fit and happens to be situated in a clearance area, it can only be included at the market value. If it is wrongfully included at site value for the compensation basis, then when we are confirming the order we should exclude such house.
§ Mr. LEVYWhile again thanking my hon. Friend, may I ask him to make that fact widely known, in view of the misapprehension which exists all over the country?