HC Deb 20 June 1938 vol 337 cc698-9
53. Mr. Rhys Davies

asked the First Commissioner of Works whether any further progress has been made with the rehousing of the staff of His Majesty's inspector of taxes, 10, Park Road, Chorley, Lancashire; whether he is aware that, in the course of these negotiations, a well-known local firm of builders wrote to the Office of Works offering to build a lessor building to the specification of the Office of Works and that suitable sites were available, but that the Office of Works have not acknowledged the original letter; and whether he will make inquiries into the position to ensure that, when offers of this kind are made, early acknowledgments are sent to the builders?

Sir P. Sassoon

The question of re-housing this staff is being actively pursued, but no satisfactory scheme has yet been devised. I can find no trace of an offer by a firm of builders to erect a building, but a letter asking for particulars of the size of the site required for an Excise Office was received; it is very much regretted that through an oversight an acknowledgment was not sent in this case, but I can assure the hon. Member that offers when received are normally acknowledged and investigated without delay.