HC Deb 05 September 1940 vol 365 cc7-9
15. Sir Irving Albery

asked the Minister of Health what action local authorities are responsible for taking immediately after bombing raids in their districts, as regards damage to dwelling-houses and as regards assistance to persons affected by the same?

The Minister of Health (Mr. Malcolm MacDonald)

Local authorities are responsible for carrying out repairs immediately necessary to avoid danger to health in the case both of houses on their own estates and houses of which the owners are unable or unwilling to take action. Responsibility for immediate assistance to persons rendered homeless rests with the public assistance authorities, who have made arrangements which include the provision of food and shelter for a short period, and, where necessary, temporary billeting. Where houses have been destroyed outright or are too badly damaged to be repairable and the families find it difficult to obtain accommodation, local authorities have been given special powers to take possession of houses or other buildings which can be made suitable for housing, and to let them at reasonable rents.

Sir I. Albery

May I ask by what method one can quickly ascertain whether an owner of a house is willing to put it in repair or not?

Mr. MacDonald

I think the normal method is that officials of a local authority visit the spot where there are damaged houses as soon as possible after the incident, make appropriate inquiries, and so find out very swiftly whether an owner is ready to do repairs or not. I have been to a good many of these places myself, and I am satisfied that generally this is working very satisfactorily indeed, but if there were individual cases of complaint, I should be glad to bring them to the notice of the local authority.

Mr. Thorne

If a local authority carries out that suggestion, will that rank for grant?

Mr. MacDonald

The expenses of these repairs are charged on the owner of the property and regarded as a loan on which interest is not charged during the war and in regard to which no payment is required during the war. The whole matter comes up after the war.

Mr. Thorne

What about people who lose their furniture and effects?

Mr. J. J. Davidson

Are public assistance authorities limited in the amount of expenditure with regard to this question, and can they make any monetary grant?

Mr. MacDonald

There is no limit to the expenses which local authorities can incur. The Government give assistance with regard to the raising of loans in order to carry out these repairs. With regard to the last Supplementary Question asked by the hon. Member for Plaistow (Mr. Thorne), where furniture has been destroyed, then the Assistance Board can make grants up to a certain figure for replacement in cases where the family income is below a certain level.

Mr. Simmonds

Is not my right hon. Friend aware of the unsatisfactory state of affairs which exists where the public have been evicted from their houses because of time bombs or unexploded bombs? Will he see that these people are given shelter by the local authority?

Mr. MacDonald

In these circumstances it is certainly the responsibility of the local authority that these people should be looked after in a similar way to people whose houses have been damaged or destroyed. Again, if hon. Members will let me know of cases where that is not being done, I will look into them at once.