HC Deb 04 March 1948 vol 448 cc531-3
79. Mr. Pritt

asked the Minister of Health whether he will immediately withdraw a seven-days' notice which he has served on a man, whose particulars have been given to him, to leave a rest centre on the ground of refusal to accept an offer of rooms to accommodate the man, his wife, and a baby seven weeks old, which is six miles from his place of work and is three floors up with no space to keep a perambulator on the ground floor.

Mr. Bevan

I have written to the hon. and learned Member, and I hope that after perusing my letter he will agree with the action taken.

Mr. Pritt

Will the right hon. Gentleman say, since his letter is a flat refusal, what his views are on the growing practice of offering unsuitable accommodation to people and then turning them into the street? Will he also say where he thinks this man and his wife and baby are going when he turns them on to the street?

Mr. Bevan

The letter to which I have referred can hardly be described as a "flat refusal," because it contains two pages of explanation. It says that these are rest centres, that they are not suitable for permanent residence, and that there are many flats in London two or three storeys up, where people have small children and in which there is no adequate provision for perambulators.

Mr. Pritt

Will the right hon. Gentleman answer my two supplementary questions, namely, whether he knows that it is a growing practice to offer unsuitable accommodation and then turn the person into the street, and, secondly, will he say where these people can go when he turns them into the street?

Mr. Bevan

I resent the statement that it is unsuitable accommodation. There is no growing practice of turning people out. The hon. and learned Member's supplementary question was merely a verbal trick. These people have been offered alternative accommodation of a kind which is perfectly normal in London. It is not intended that they should be at this rest centre too long, because other families wish to come in. If they do not accept suitable alternative accommodation, there is nothing left to the local authority except to turn them out.

Mr. Pritt

Will the Minister make one more attempt to answer my Question, namely, where is this man, his sick wife and young baby to go when he turns them on to the street?

Mr. Bevan

This is a matter for the local authority. The local authority have offered these people suitable alternative accommodation, and they are in no worse position than anyone else.

Mr. Pritt

It is utterly untrue to suggest that this accommodation is in any way suitable.

Mr. Bevan

That is the local authority's point of view, and I uphold it.

Mr. Pritt

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware——

Mr. Speaker

I think that this duel has gone on long enough.