§ Mr. Priceasked the Minister of Health whether he is aware that cases are occurring of Servicemen who have been invalided out of the Services finding that in their absence their homes have been requisitioned for war workers and evacuees; and whether, in view of the hardship thus caused, he will take steps to see that they obtain possession of their homes at as early a date as possible.
§ Mr. WillinkYes, Sir. Every effort is made to release requisitioned houses to owners who require them for their own occupation.
§ Mr. Hyndasked the Minister of Health why, in view of the terms of his Ministry's Circular No. 2282 of 31st January, 1941, and London Regional Circular No. 301 of 13th February, 1941, which make it clear that local authorities may and should apply where necessary their requisitioning powers to unoccupied council houses, approval has been refused for the requisitioning of a local-authority-owned house in the London Region on the ground that the requisitioning of unoccupied council houses has always been resisted.
§ Mr. WillinkThe Circulars to which the hon. Member refers were framed at a time of great urgency to deal with cases in which the local authority were unable to obtain the address of their tenant and consequently could not take legal proceedings for the recovery of possession. The circumstances in which it would be right to authorise requisition of local authority's houses containing a tenant's furniture are now clearly exceptional, and no such case has been brought to my notice within recent months.