§ Captain BOWYERasked the Minister of Health whether his attention has been drawn to the fact that an owner of cottages at Newick, Sussex, on being approached by ex-service men with regard to the tenancy of two empty cottages, has persistently refused to let these cottages, which still remain empty; whether he has any power to prevent the unreasonable refusal to let; and, if not, will he take steps to obtain such power forthwith, in order to prevent the housing shortage being thus needlessly increased?
§ Sir A. MONDI have no power to enforce the letting of houses and I think it would be undesirable to take such powers for the reasons which I gave during the262W Debates on the Housing Bill. I would point out that local authorities already have power to purchase, if necessary by compulsion, houses suitable for working-class occupation.