HC Deb 06 December 1945 vol 416 cc2526-7
72. Major Lloyd

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer which Ministers are now wholly or partly living in official premises, apart from the Prime Minister, the Chancellor of the Exchequer and the First Lord of the Admiralty; and to whom, and how much, rent is paid in each case.

Mr. Dalton

The Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs occupies official premises, for which no rent is charged. The Secretary of State for Air resides in official premises, for which he is charged a rent of £300 a year; the Minister of Town and Country Planning resides in official premises, the rent for which is now under consideration.

Major Lloyd

In view of this unusual precedent for peacetime, has the right hon. Gentleman worked out, and, if so', will he inform the House, what these perquisites amount to?, Is it not a fact that they would involve a salary of [HON. MEMBERS: ''Speech."]

Mr. Dalton

We believe in following tradition where the tradition is sound. The right hon. Gentleman the Member for Warwick and Leamington (Mr. Eden) occupied, very properly, premises in the Foreign Office, for which, I understand, he never paid rent. I regard this as a very reasonable arrangement, and we are continuing it at the present time.