Clause 11.—(QUASHING OF CERTAIN DEMOLITION ORDERS.) (Hansard, 12 June 1953)

§ Mr. Mitchison

I beg to move, in page 9, line 11, at the end, to insert: (2) Where a demolition order has been made in respect of a house under Part II of the Housing Act, 1936, at any time before the commencement of this Act, and it appears to the local authority by whom that order was made that compliance therewith is inexpedient having regard to the effect of the demolition of that house upon any other house or building, they may, whether or not that order has become operative and whether or not the period within which the house is thereby required to be demolished has expired, revoke the demolition order and make in respect of the house such a closing order as is authorized by subsection (1) of section ten of this Act. (3) Subsections (2) to (5) of the said section ten shall apply to a closing order made under the last foregoing subsection as if it were made under the said section ten, and as if the reference in subsection (2) of that section to a copy of the closing order included a reference to a notice of the revocation of the demolition order. This was one of those cases which are so often left out of a Bill and which in this instance fall into the smaller category of cases of omission which are discovered just in time. Apparently in Islington, and I dare say in other parts of the country, too, demolition orders have been made in cases in which, if they are carried out, the house next door will collapse. By this Amendment we seek to extend what I hope I may call the beneficial operation of this Bill to that type of case and to enable the local 649 authority at the last moment, by the magic intervention of this Clause, to make a closing order instead of allowing the house next door to crash to the ground. I feel sure that these laudable intentions will appeal to the whole of the House.