§ 39. Flight-Lieutenant Teelingasked the Minister of Health whether he is aware that certain local authorities are contemplating evicting allotment holders in order to erect temporary houses; and whether he will consider issuing an instruction that where other sites are available it is not in the public interest in view of the food scarcity that allotment holding should in this way be discouraged.
§ Mr. WillinkThe cases my hon. and gallant Friend has in mind are I imagine those where land intended for other purposes has been temporarily used for allotments during the war. While every endeavour is made to find sites which will not involve disturbing allotment-holders, in some cases such disturbance is inevitable if enough sites are to be provided for temporary houses.
§ Sir Frank SandersonWould my right hon. and learned Friend give an assurance that where allotment-holders are disturbed, other land will be found to take its place and that appropriate compensation will be paid?
§ Mr. WillinkI could not possibly undertake that wherever there has been an allotment, whether permanent or temporary, during the war—and such allotments have been situated in public open spaces and on land which had originally been cleared for the building of houses—other land will be provided in exchange. What I can say is that in every case where an allotment is concerned my Department consults with the Ministry of Agriculture.