Captain R. Adamsasked the Secretary of State for War why certain property held by his Department in the borough of Wandsworth, of which details have been sent him, was released to the private owners to be let at an enhanced rental to persons not normally resident in the borough instead of being transferred to the local authority for re housing homeless families.
§ Mr. StracheyI have been asked to reply. When this property became available it was duly notified by my Department and, in the absence of any request for transfer, subsequently released to its owners. I regret that on this occasion the notice did not get through to the local authority owing to a misunderstanding of the normal procedure. We have now taken steps to prevent similar misunderstandings in future.