§ 54. Lieut.-Colonel Dowerasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is aware that cost-of-works repairs, other than essential first-aid repairs, to dwelling houses cannot now be carried out, and that no date has yet been fixed for value payments to be made, and will he therefore consider temporarily suspending the collection of War Damage contributions or reducing the amount of contributions or the assessments upon which they are based.
§ Sir J. AndersonI should not feel justified in introducing legislation altering the basis upon which contribution is paid. I would moreover draw the attention of my hon. and gallant Friend to Sections 63 and 64 of the War Damage Act, 1943, which provide for the suspension of collection of instalments of contribution in cases where it is likely that a value payment will fall to be made or where the property is rendered and remains unfit, as defined in Section 64, by reason of war damage.
§ Lieut.-Colonel DowerAs half of this contribution is paid for by the insurance, could not something be paid on account, at any rate, in a case where people have lost their homes entirely?
§ Sir J. AndersonI have explained on more than one occasion, and quite recently, that it has always been contemplated that value payments should not be issued until a much later stage.