HC Deb 19 February 1946 vol 419 cc961-2
59. Mr. Gammans

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if, in view of the representations made to him by deputations from Norwich City Council, Coventry City Council and other badly bombed towns that their reconstruction plans are being hampered by the difficulty arising from the conversion of a cost-of-Zworks payment into a value payment where a trader is not allowed, on planning grounds, to rebuild on his old site, he is taking steps to resume the conversion of the value payment into a cost-of-works payment in such cases; and if the whole question of the in adequacy of value payments is being re considered having regard to their generally discouraging effect on rebuilding.

Mr. Dalton

I have carefully considered this matter, but it is difficult to justify better treatment, in this particular respect, for the owner of a damaged property than for the owner of an undamaged property in a reconstruction area. And such would be the result of this proposal.

. Mr. Gammans

Does not the Chancellor realise that this anomaly and injustice is doing a tremendous amount to hold up the very replanning that he and the whole country desire?