§ Mr. Hutchinsonasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Works what are the conditions upon which licences authorising the expenditure on buildings of a stated sum in respect of maintenance work are granted by his Department, under paragraph 6 of the Notes for the Guidance of Applicants, issued on the 1st January, 1942.
§ Mr. HicksMaintenance licences are granted by my Department in cases where the amount expended during a period of twelve months on a single property (including the cost of maintenance on that property) exceeds £100. They are ordinarily on an annual basis and for amounts sufficient to maintain the structures on the lowest efficient level. When application is made for the first time in respect of a property, it is the practice to issue the licence for an interim period, for an amount which has regard to the annual expenditure on the property during the previous three years. On any application for a renewal of the licence, the amount is fixed by reference to the actual sum spent during the currency of the licence previously in force and the estimated expenditure on maintenance over the next twelve months.