§ 39. Colonel Stoddart-Scottasked the Minister of Health if, in view of the fact that members of local authorities who are tenants of council houses and sit on the local housing committee are unable to take part in the deliberations of the committee, he will take steps to remove this disability.
§ Mr. BevanThe disability mentioned by the hon. and gallant Member applies to matters in which tenants of council houses have a direct or indirect pecuniary interest, not to all housing matters. I have power to remove it in relation to particular occasions, and I have always been ready to consider doing so in order to enable tenants of council houses to discuss, but not normally to vote upon, housing questions where a disability might arise.
§ Colonel Stoddart-ScottSurely the Minister knows that certain chairmen of housing committees exclude all members 555 who live in local authority houses from attending any of their meetings; and would he give a general dispensation from this regulation over the whole country, so that each individual who lives in a municipal house has not to apply individually to the Minister to get this dispensation?
§ Mr. BevanI should be astonished to find any chairman of a housing committee who prevented any tenant of a council house from discussing any housing matter. If the hon. and gallant Member will bring those facts to my attention I will certainly have them inquired into.
§ Colonel Stoddart-ScottThe right hon. Gentleman has the information in his office now.