HC Deb 31 May 1945 vol 411 cc341-3
30. Mr. Pritt

asked the Minister of Health whether he is now aware that landlords and their agents are making a practice of letting dwellings for preference to tenants without young children, as a result of which those with young children find it impossible to get accommodation; and if he proposes to introduce legislation to deal with this problem.

Mr. Willink

The number of complaints I have received does not lead me to believe that the practice to which the hon. Member refers is widespread or that additional powers are necessary. I am, however, keeping the matter under review, and I have, some while ago, delegated to local authorities power to requisition accommodation for people inadequately housed.

Mr. Pritt

Would the right hon. and learned Gentleman distribute in some accessible form, through the Press or otherwise, information about this power to requisition; and will he get somebody to come down out of the clouds and realise that in every street in every town in Britain to-day landlords are saying, "You cannot have that house if you have got children"?

Mr. Willink

I have considered this problem and have had some inquiry made into the range and scope of it; and in quite a number of cases I have found that the unwillingness to have families with children added to the existing tenants is reasonable. The property is very often unsuitable for the additional numbers. [HON. MEMBERS: "Oh."] Yes, I have found such cases. On the other hand I feel certain that the hon. and learned Member would entirely appreciate the extreme difficulty of legislation on a a matter such as this. It is rather a matter for administration and the best possible administrative use of the very much reduced accommodation there is, particularly in the hon. Member's area.

Mr. Pritt

Is it the policy of the Government and of the right hon. and learned Gentleman and his Department that in my constituency and in every industrial and urban constituency poor women with one or two children have to tramp round and round from agent to agent; and is he going to do nothing in this matter?

Mr. Willink

I think the hon. and learned Member will have understood from my answer that local authorities have power to requisition property for those inadequately housed, including those to Whom he is referring.

Mr. Ede

Cannot the Minister give us any indication of how far these powers of requisition are in use?

Mr. Willink

That would be possible, if I were given notice.

Viscountess Astor

Is it not true that if local authorities themselves would build council houses, people with children could get in? Is it not also true that a good many people—

Mr. Speaker

That sounds like the beginning of a speech and not a question.

Viscountess Astor

I was asking the Minister a second supplementary question.

Mr. Silverman

Can the right hon. and learned Gentleman say when he last drew the attention of local government authorities to these powers and, if it is a long time ago, will he draw their attention to them now?

Mr. Willink

I am quite prepared to look into the question whether local authorities are familiar with these powers. My impression is, however, that they are fully aware of them and are exercising them.

Mr. Silverman

They do not use them.