Requisitioning (Hansard, 4 March 1952)

§ 2. Mr. Peter Remnant
asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what steps he is taking to return requisitioned premises to owners requiring them for their own residential occupation, if they are prepared to agree to a stipulated period before change of occupation.

§ 18. Mr. F. Beswick
asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government when his policy to refuse permission for local authorities to requisition vacant property was decided.

§ Mr. H. Macmillan
The action which I have taken on requisitioning is indicated in a circular which I issued to local authorities on 19th February, of which I am sending copies to the hon. Members.

§ Mr. Remnant
While I am not aware of the contents of the circular, may I ask my right hon. Friend whether he appreciates that as far as I am aware any action by the local authority is dependent on agreement between the owner and occupier as to what can be regarded as suitable alternative accommodation, and would he perhaps consider giving power to the local authority to decide what is or is not suitable alternative accommodation?

§ Mr. Macmillan
We are doing what we can to secure both the rights of the owners and the meeting of the needs of housing.

§ 33. Mr. GEORGE CHETWYND
To ask the Minister of Housing and Local Government how many local authorities have applied to him for permission to purchase or requisition owner-occupied dwellings for the purpose of rehousing the occupants in smaller houses and replacing them with tenants from the local authority housing lists; how many houses were involved; and in how many cases was permission granted.

§ Mr. Chetwynd
On a point of order. May I call your attention, Mr. Speaker, to a misprint in the Question, which probably wrecks its meaning. For "owner-occupied" the right hon. Gentleman should read "under-occupied." If he cannot answer the Question in that form, may I withdraw the Question?

§ Mr. Macmillan
Perhaps I may give the hon. Gentleman the answer, and we might get together and see what we might make of this. The answer is:
My Ministry has no record of any such case.