HC Deb 13 February 1947 vol 433 cc525-7
62. Mrs. Middleton

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he has now received the Report of the War Damage Commission on the increase of value payments; and what decision tie has reached.

Mr. Dalton

Yes, Sir, I have received the Report and I am grateful to the War Damage Commission for their quick response to my request. I have decided to accept the Commission's recommendations and shall publish the Report and submit the necessary Order for the approval the House in the near future.

Mrs. Middleton

Could the Chancellor give us a further statement upon the matter?

Mr. Dalton

I am going to publish it. I think it would be a mistake for me to try to summarise it. It is rather complicated I think the hon. Lady, who follows this very closely, will soon find what she wants in the Report.

Mrs. Middleton

When can we expect it?

Mr. Dalton

Very soon.

Mr. Michael Foot

In view of the hardship which many people bombed out in 1940 and 1941 suffered, and in view of the great complexities to which the Chancellor has referred, can he use his influence to persuade the Leader of the House to arrange a Debate on the whole of this subject in regard to town and country planning and the War Damage Commission, before the recommendations of the Commission are finally accepted?

Mr. Dalton

Business, of course, is not a matter for me. I should have thought the better course was for the Debate to take place on the Order which I am required to present to the House dealing with this problem. It would be better not to mix it up with a lot of other subjects.

Mr. Foot

Will the Chancellor take into account, that under an Order made under the Town and Country Planning Act, which dealt with a similar class of people who were bombed out, we were precluded from discussing matters of War Damage Commission payments, whereas on this Order we shall be precluded from comparing it with Sections of the Town and Country Planning Act? Will he take into account the fact that this is a similar class of people who are victims of the same difficulty, and is it not much better to have a discussion on the whole subject?

Mr. Percy Morris

Can the right hon. Gentleman tell us if the Report refers to these victims of the war?

Mr. Dalton

I would prefer that the hon. Gentleman should read the Report first. I think he will find that it advises a certain escalation.