HC Deb 27 November 1946 vol 430 c1584
8. Mr. David Renton

asked the Secretary of State for Air when the hon. Member for Huntingdon may expect a reply to his letter of 12th September, asking for the handing over to the Hunts County Council of certain huts at Little Stukeley aerodrome which are urgently required for the accommodation of civilian employees of the county council, many of whom are married ex-Servicemen.

Mr. de Freitas

I hope to send the hon. Member a further letter by the end of the week.

Mr. Renton

Is the hon. Gentleman aware that negotiations have been going on for over 12 months on this subject and that there are 100 huts in that particular area, and since only just these few are needed urgently, will he please do something about it very quickly?

Mr. de Freitas

I am not aware that negotiations have been going on for 12 months. The difficulty has been a shortage of manpower. It has been impossible to move the 11,000 bicycles which are at present in the huts. In any event it is not certain that the huts are suitable for housing accommodation.

Mr. Renton

Is the hon. Gentleman aware that the bicycles were put in the huts that are particularly required long after negotiations were started, and that a lot of the trouble would not have arisen but for that fact?

Mr. de Freitas

I am not aware of that.