§ 74. Mr. Edelmanasked the Minister of Labour whether he will arrange for the postponement, for at least a month, of the transfer, scheduled for 17th December, of the residents of Spring Estate Hostel, Coventry, to other hostels, in view of the fact that when Spring Estate Hostel is handed over to the Coventry Corporation for housing purposes, many of the present residents will be eligible for continued residence, and that to uproot an established community a week before Christmas will cause personal hardship.
§ Mr. IsaacsNo, Sir. There is no need to retain this hostel for its present purposes, and if the Coventry Corporation are to take it over for housing purposes some interval would apparently be required for necessary structural alterations and for assembling the staff required. Moreover, the experience of those administering industrial hostels for transferred workers is that as many as possible of the residents go home for Christmas, and that when a move is imminent they would prefer to be settled in their new quarters before their holiday rather than after their return.
§ Mr. EdelmanIs my right hon. Friend aware that the vast majority of the 600 residents who are left want to remain in the hostel at least until after Christmas?
§ Mr. IsaacsNo, Sir. I am not aware of that.