HL Deb 25 October 1949 vol 164 cc1095-6

2.40 p.m.

VISCOUNT MONSELL

My Lords, I beg to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.

[The Question was as follows:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many blocks of residential flats in the area of Greater London are now occupied, wholly or partially, by Government Departments and nationalised industries; and what is the total number of rooms involved.]

LORD SHEPHERD

My Lords, owing to the regrettable absence of my noble friend, Lord Morrison, I have been asked to reply. The number of blocks of residential flats in the area of Greater London wholly occupied by Government Departments and nationalised industries is twenty, involving some 3,050 rooms, and the number of partially occupied is nine, involving some 350 rooms. In addition there are twenty-two separate flats so occupied, involving 125 rooms.

VISCOUNT MONSELL

My Lords, would not His Majesty's Government consider accommodating these rather overflowing staffs in the many empty houses there are in London in which nobody can afford to live to-day, instead of taking, flats away from many homeless Londoners?

LORD SHEPHERD

My Lords, the question will, of course, be considered, but I hope the noble Viscount will under- stand that to divide a large staff over a number of separate and scattered dwellings would not make for efficiency.

LORD HAWKE

My Lords, does the noble Lord know whether there is any prospect of these flats being released as a result of the cuts the Prime Minister listed yesterday?

LORD SHEPHERD

My Lords, it is rather soon to say whether any of them are being released as a result of yesterday's speech, but it may help the noble Lord if I say that since June last year the number of separate flats released in Greater London has been 636. It is the policy of the Government to release these flats as quickly as may be when suitable accommodation for staffs is found elsewhere.