§ Sir L. Lyleasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the present understanding with regard to compensation for the owners of requisitioned hotels in respect of the period between de-requisitioning and rehabilitation, especially in view of the fact that rehabilitation cannot be commenced until labour and materials are made available by the Government.
Sir J. AndersenAn arrangement was negotiated with the Hotels and Restaurants Association in 1942 under which compensation rental continues to be paid for a rehabilitation period calculated on a formula which relates the length of the period to the number of bedrooms in the hotel. Representations have recently been made by the Association on the point 1573W mentioned by my hon. Friend in the latter part of his Question. These will be fully considered, but it will be appreciated that the shortage of building labour and materials involves general considerations not limited to the case of hotels and that the matter has to be considered in that light.