HC Deb 17 June 1952 vol 502 cc982-3
48. Mr. H. Brooke

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what action should now be taken by a person living in London who wants the opportunity as soon as possible of moving his family out to a house in one of the new towns.

Mr. H. Macmillan

I hope shortly to be sending a circular on this matter to all London housing authorities. Meanwhile, any person on the housing lists of those authorities who wants to live and work in a new town should advise his authority accordingly.

Mr. Brooke

Will my right hon. Friend particularly bear in mind the difficulties of the Metropolitan borough councils, which are almost at an end of their available building sites and still have thousands of people on their waiting lists and, up to now, have been offered no accommodation in any of the new towns except a few very expensive flats at Stevenage?

Mr. Macmillan

Yes, Sir, it is that that we are trying to get arranged.

Mr. Sorensen

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that one advantage of those who live in the City of London is that they have areas outside their own particular Metropolis while many of the outer boroughs have been affected by that fact and, therefore, require that their overspill population should go to these new towns in preference to people who come from the City of London?

Mr. Macmillan

It is these rival claims we have to try to iron out. These are just examples of them.