§ 9. Mr. Swinglerasked the Minister of Housing and Local Government if he is aware of the financial hardship suffered by citizens who have no responsibility for the private and unmade character of the streets in which they live but who, under existing law, are forced to pay large bills for their frontage share of the cost of repairing such streets; and if he will initiate inquiries with a view to considering the desirability of amending the law so as to provide alternative methods of relieving such citizens of a part or the whole of this burden.
§ Mr. H. BrookeI am not satisfied, on the information before me, that the present law regarding liability for private street works is unreasonable. I am, however, making inquiries to see what use is made of the provisions for the avoidance of hardship which already exist, and I will consider the matter further in the light of this information.
§ Mr. SwinglerWould the Minister consider setting up a committee of inquiry on this subject? Is he aware that the law on this subject is more than sixty years old and that many local authority experts regard it as obsolete and an obstacle to getting these roads made up? Will he, therefore, have investigations made into the whole position?
§ Mr. BrookePerhaps the hon. Member will agree that in the first place I should make further inquiries into the extent to which local authorities are using their existing power.