§ 30. Mr. Shinwellasked the Minister of Health whether his attention has been called to the posting of a notice under the Housing (Temporary Accommodation) Act, 1944, on 1st December, 1944, on a site in Greenwich, cleared in consequence of war damage, comprising all even numbers in Hassenden Road above No. 32 and all odd numbers in Fursefield Road above No. 31; that owners of part of this land, whose offices were 13 miles away, did not receive notification of the matter until r3th December, 1944, so could not lodge representations; that most of these notices are being posted on war damaged sites; and whether he will instruct all authorities to serve notices on owners, having previously secured the names and addresses from the offices of the War Damage Commission.
§ 28. Captain Stricklandasked the Minister of Health what instructions have been issued to secure that in every case in which a local authority is required to give notice to an owner of bombed property the power of so doing is not deemed to be sufficiently exercised by affixing such notice to some conspicuous object on the premises or by handing it to some person who may happen to be on the premises, until after the usual methods of notice by post to the last known place of business or residence have been employed.
§ Mr. WillinkThe method of serving these notices is governed by the provisions of Section 6 of the Housing (Temporary Accommodation) Act and it is for the local authority to decide how those provisions should be applied to an indivi- 375 dual case. I have no power to issue instructions in the sense indicated in the Question.
§ Mr. ShinwellBut is it not desirable that owners of property should be duly notified of the intentions of the local authorities? Further, would it not be desirable in this case, and in other cases, to ask the local authorities, so far as is practicable, to notify owners before taking these drastic measures?
§ Mr. WillinkI am sure my hon. Friend will appreciate that the obtaining of sites for these temporary houses in urban areas is a very difficult matter, in which speed is really of the essence of the bued after consideration by Parliament, in Section 6 of the Act, to which I referred, were inserted after discussion with the local authorities, and I cannot limit their discretion as to how they should use their statutory powers.
§ Mr. ShinwellBut is it not a fact that in this instance the owners of the property were only 13 miles away, so that there was no physical difficulty in making the necessary approach?
§ Mr. WillinkDiscovering the owners of property has for long been one of the major difficulties in the acquisition of property, even in ordinary times. These three alternative procedures were approved by Parliament, and must continue to apply.