§ Mr. CliffeI ask the leave of the House to present a Petition from many thousands of North London and Middlesex residents, including 3,000 from my own constituency, which indicates quite clearly that the housing situation is very grave, that many thousands of families are living in overcrowded conditions and in accommodation completely without 750 any amenities owing to the progressive decontrol of the housing accommodation and increasing rents due to the provisions of the Rent Act, 1957, to the restrictive effect of Her Majesty's Government's policy and to the very high interest rates to both local authorities and to people who are endeavouring to purchase their own accommodation, and to the failure of the Government to impose any measure of control over land speculation.
The Petition concludes:
Wherefore your Petitioners pray that Her Majesty's Government will take immediate steps to deal with this distressing problem.And your Petitioners, as in duty bound, will ever pray.
§ To lie upon the Table.