HC Deb 08 May 1951 vol 487 cc1739-40
20. Mr. Fitzroy Maclean

asked the Minister of Works whether, in view of the hardship involved, his Department will meet the cost of removing the works erected by them on land belonging to Lieutenant-Colonel Cary Owtram, New-land Hall, near Lancaster.

Mr. G. Brown

No, Sir. I have nothing to add to the reply my predecessor gave to the hon. Member on 13th March last.

Mr. Maclean

Does the right hon. Gentleman really think it is fair that Lieut.-Colonel Owtram should suffer great hardship, in that after four years as a prisoner-of-war in the Far East he should now be made to bear the far greater part of the cost of making good damage done to his property in his absence by the War Department?

Mr. Brown

The difficulty is that we are operating under the law covering this matter—the Compensation (Defence) Act of 1939—and we cannot go outside it.