HC Deb 14 October 1946 vol 427 cc613-5
59. Mr. A. Edward Davies

asked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what arrangements have recently been made to concentrate the administration of British military and civilian government in Hamburg; and what effect this is having on the housing situation in that city.

Mr. J. Hynd

The zonal executive offices of the Control Commission for Germany are at the moment dispersed in a number of separate small towns. This position is unsatisfactory and wasteful. The move to Hamburg has therefore been decided upon as the only practicable way of achieving a concentration of staff in the zone with consequent economy and increased efficiency. The move will not be complete until the spring or early summer of 1948, and requisitioning of existing properties will not in the main be necessary before the autumn of 1947, by which time it is anticipated that the present building plans, for which special allocations of building manpower and materials have been made, will have relieved the housing shortage.

Mr. Davies

In view of the inadequate housing accommodation in Hamburg consequent upon the good work of the R.A.F., the conditions under which many of the people are living, and the impending fusion with other zones in Germany, which may alter our administration, could not this project be slowed down?

Mr. Hynd

As I have pointed out, the project will not be completed until the spring of 1948. There will be no requisitioning for the purposes of the project until the autumn of 1947, and in the meantime there will have been considerable changes in the staffing arrangements of the zone, and it is impossible to say precisely what the position will be then. I hardly think that we can plan for any slowing down.

Mr. Stokes

May I ask my hon. Friend whether the report in the "Daily Herald" that the project has been suspended is incorrect?

Mr. Hynd

As I have stated, the project is still on, and it is intended that, according to present assessment of staff requirements and so on, it shall be ready by the spring of 1948.

Mr. Molson

Will the Chancellor give an assurance that there will be no requisitioning of buildings for this purpose, and that anything required for British staffs will be provided by new buildings?

Mr. Hynd

I am afraid I cannot give that assurance, because the plan which has been drawn up has been drawn up very carefully in conjunction with the German authorities in order to provide for the most practical disposition of the Control buildings and of the German residential quarters. Simply to say that one particular house should be left, in a whole block occupied by the Control Commission, would not be practicable.

Mr. Davies

Although the project is not going forward for some time, are not all the facilities being occupied by military personnel and their families at the moment, and is it a fact that 36,000 people will have to be evacuated or changed about in order to accommodate some 5,000 of our civilian government and military personnel?

Mr. Hynd

The first part of the supplementary question is not accurate, and to the second part of the question, as to the number who would have to be evacuated by the end of 1947 or the spring of 1948, I obviously could not give an accurate answer at this stage.

Mr. Stokes

In view of the ambiguity of the situation, I wish to give notice that I intend to raise this matter on the Adjournment.