HOUSING (EMERGENCY POWERS) BILL. (Hansard, 1 September 1939)

§ THE DUKE OF DEVONSHIRE

My Lords, the possible widespread destruction of property of all classes in war together with the fact that no comprehensive insurance scheme against such damage is possible and that no Government compensation could be paid until after the war was over, gives rise to urgent problems of public safety and welfare. One of these problems is how to keep in existence an adequate supply of housing accommodation. The purpose of this Bill is to deal with that problem. The Bill lays upon local authorities the duty of keeping under constant review the supply of working-class accommodation from the point of view of both quantity and quality and the authorities already possess wide powers with regard to the provision of new houses and the repair of existing houses.

This Bill extends the duty of seeing that working-class houses are kept habitable and provides that emergency repairs to all classes of accommodation used or required for housing which is damaged by war should be laid upon the housing authorities, working under the supervision of the Ministry of Health in England and the Department of Health in Scotland. The Bill provides that where a local authority is satisfied that any building whether a dwelling-house or not is unfit for housing purposes by reason of war damage; that the building is capable at reasonable expense of being rendered fit; that lack of housing accommodation in the area makes it necessary to render the building fit; and that the person having control of the building is unable or unwilling to make it fit; then the local authority, with the consent of the Minister, may give fourteen days' notice to the person having control of the building that they intend to execute specified works to render the building fit for housing purposes.

942 There are other clauses in the Bill with which I do not propose to detain your Lordships. The principle of the Bill is as I have said. The duty is laid upon local authorities of repairing war damage to housing accommodation so that the public shall suffer as little as possible from damage done in war. A circular is being issued to local authorities laying down in detail their duties and their powers. The cost of any works carried out by a local authority will remain as a registered charge on the premises and no demand for repayment will be made until after the emergency. The necessary money to enable the local authority to proceed will be advanced on loan by the Ministry of Health, and the authority will likewise not be asked to pay interest or repay capital until after the end of the war. I beg to move that the Bill be now read a second time.