§ Sir I. Alberyasked the Home Secretary whether he will consider the amendment of directions made under Defence Regulation 16A which provide for the taking up of residence in areas in certain exceptional cases, so that there may be also included cases where exceptional personal hardship is involved?
§ Mr. H. MorrisonThe directions to which my hon. Friend refers prohibit the taking up of residence in certain coastal areas. I am afraid that some degree of hardship in individual cases is inevitable if a restriction of this kind is to be enforced, and it would be impracticable and unfair to attempt to discriminate between individual cases on the basis of the degree of hardship involved. The directions already provide for exceptions for particular types of case, including those of persons taking up residence for the purpose of business or employment, and those of persons qualified by previous residence or ownership of property in the areas before 1941, and I regret that I do not see my way to adopt my hon. Friend's suggestion.