§ 16. Mr. Lawasked the Minister of Works if he is aware that the houses on the North side of Sumner Place, Kensington, S.W.7, held by his Department for a number of years, have been unoccupied since 1944, and that dry rot is now creeping in; and when he anticipates releasing this valuable accommodation for housing some of the numerous people who are in urgent need of accommodation.
§ Mr. KeyMost of these houses were requisitioned in 1944 to provide a reserve of accommodation for Government use as part of the precautions against flying 237W bombs and rockets. The houses were then vacant and were already affected by dry rot, which my Department is doing its best to check. They were used in 1944 as a hostel for building operatives and subsequently were offered for housing purposes but the local authority decided not to take them over. The Ministry of Health has subsequently agreed that they should be used as offices and they are now in course of preparation for this purpose. Two of the houses have been in use for storage purposes since 1944 and I am looking into the possibility of releasing them.