HC Deb 17 October 1946 vol 427 cc1037-8
20. Mr. Osborne

asked the Minister of Health what would be the cost of providing cooking, heating and lighting facilities in the R.A.F. huts at Holton-le-Clay, Lincolnshire, which have been occupied by married couples; and on what grounds he refuses to provide these facilities.

Mr. Bevan

The cost of providing the facilities mentioned would be about £350. I am advised that such an outlay, and the necessary diversion of labour and material entailed, would not be justified in view of the nature of this camp and the condition of the five huts, the estimated life of which is only 12 to 18 months.

Mr. Osborne

How does the right hon. Gentleman reconcile this answer with the statement he made in the House only last week that public services were being put into all these camps?

Mr. Bevan

I never said for a moment that they were being put into all the camps. I am not going to spend public money for the purpose of providing substandard accommodation.

22. Major Guy Lloyd

asked the Minister of Health whether the huts in military camps are now being included as an addition to the numbers of temporary houses given in the monthly housing returns for England and Wales.

Mr. Bevan

No, Sir; units of family accommodation provided by the conversion of Service camps have hitherto been included under the heading of "conversion and adaptation of existing premises" on page 2 and in Table 6 of the Housing Return, but I am arranging to have them shown separately in future.

Major Lloyd

Can we therefore have the Minister's assurance that, in the speeches made by him or by his Parliamentary Secretary, these individuals will not be included amongst those who have been found homes?

Mr. Bevan

I have already pointed out that I do not propose to include them at all, so that the supplementary question had obviously occurred to the hon. and gallant Member before he heard my reply.

30. Mr. Swingler

asked the Minister of Health what progress he has to report in the arrangements to use hutted accommodation on Hixon Airfield, Staffordshire, for emergency housing.

Mr. Bevan

The accommodation on this airfield, redundant to the needs of the Air Ministry, has been offered to the Stafford Rural District Council for housing purposes. I have not yet received their decision.