§ 39. Lieut.-Colonel Dowerasked the Minister of Works if he is aware cases are occurring with increasing frequency of looting in houses when war damage repair contractors and workers are engaged by the local authorities to carry out war damage repairs and that no personal responsibility exists between the owner or tenants of the houses and the repairers concerned; and whether the local authority or the contractor will be compelled to make good such loss.
§ The Minister of Works (Mr. Duncan Sandys)Where repairs are carried out by the local authority the latter can be held responsible by the householder for any loss due to negligence, in the same way as a private contractor. The question appears to suggest that larceny is being committed by repair workers on a large and growing scale. The facts are that nowhere has sufficient evidence been produced to enable the police to prosecute in any single case. I do think that in fairness to those concerned my hon. and gallant Friend should have made of his facts before making allegations of wholesale dishonesty against this body of building trade operatives all parts of the United Kingdom