§ 15. Mr. Sparksasked the Minister of Health, how many families are at present being accommodated in rest centres, air-raid shelters, public institutions and the like by local authorities in the Metropolitan Police district; and what steps he proposes to take to prevent the eviction of families against whom court orders for possession have been issued, in cases where the local authorities have no accommodation available.
§ Mr. KeyThe figures my right hon. Friend has are for rest centres and halfway houses in the London Civil Defence Region. In that area there were at the end of June 719 families so accommodated. Of this number 276 were in the County of London. I understand that only most exceptionally are homeless 555 families accommodated in a public institution. In such cases every effort is made to transfer them to other accommodation immediately. It would not be proper for my right hon. Friend to attempt to prevent the eviction of families against whom court orders for possession have been issued. All he can do is to make arrangements for their accommodation in common with other people needing homes.
§ Mr. SparksIs my hon. Friend aware that a view prevails in the county courts that the local authorities are in a position to rehouse families dispossessed by court orders, and will he take some step to correct that erroneous view?
§ Mr. KeyI attempted to do that in this House on Tuesday night by saying that it must not be taken that people who are evicted have priority over other applicants for housing by local authorities.