§ Sir L. Lyleasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the claims for payment for damage received by the War Damage Commission indicate that bomb damaged property has to any appreciable extent been sold to purchasers other than the tenants or owners of the structure at the time it was damaged; and whether it is their policy to investigate such claims to ascertain whether speculative buyers are at work.
§ Sir J. AndersonIf a war-damaged property is not a total loss under the War Damage Act, the War Damage Commission can usually have no knowledge of any dealings with it until a claim for payment for works already executed is received. If the name of the claimant in such cases differed from that of the person or persons who notified the damage, this would be, prima facie, evidence of a sale or change of tenant. In particular cases the Commission may in other ways get to know that the property has changed hands. But however the fact that there has been a sale comes to the knowledge of the Commission, it has no power to inquire into the nature of the transaction and no reason to keep a record of such cases. In cases of total loss, the position is rather different. If a sale is effected on the basis that the value payment shall remain with the vendor, the Commission gets no notice of the sale. But if the transaction includes an assignment of the right to receive the value payment, the Commission's consent has to be obtained in accordance with Section 23 of the War Damage Act. Applications so far received by the Commission under this Section do not suggest any widespread speculation in war-damaged properties.