§ 19. Sir Gifford Foxasked the Secretary of State for Air what steps he has taken to stop the junior members of his Department requisitioning land without proper consultation with the owners beforehand, as has recently been the case in Oxfordshire, thereby not carrying out their instructions from his Department; and what disciplinary action has been taken against the official concerned?
§ Sir K. WoodThere is no instruction to officers of my Department that the owners of property must invariably be consulted before a requisition is served. Normally, the occupier of the land is interviewed, and, where possible, the owner is given early notification of my Department's intentions. It would be impracticable in every case to insist on prior consultation with owners, in view of the urgency with which requirements must be met in time of war.