HC Deb 18 November 1952 vol 507 cc150-1W
97. Mr. P. Roberts

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government why Sheffield has received no grant in the period, January to September, 1952, for war damage reconstruction when 13 other towns received substantial grants and when a vast amount of war damage reconstruction is still to be done in Sheffield.

Mr. Marples

My right hon. Friend assumes that my hon. Friend is referring to the figures recently given by my right hon. Friend the Minister of Works of licences issued in 1952 for war-damage reconstruction. It has not been possible to issue any new licences in Sheffield this year, but work on buildings in progress continues and it is expected that about £350,000 will be spent this year.

99. Mr. J. J. Astor

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government when he intends to announce his proposals for bombed cities reconstruction for 1953.

Mr. Marples

Excluding London, there are 18 severely damaged cities generally known as the blitzed cities. The value of reconstruction work actually done, sponsored by successive Ministers of Planning, has been as follows1949 and 1950: £2.3 million. 1951: £3.5 million. 1952: £4.5 million (estimated).

Work in progress, due to be done during 1953, will be about £2 million. The Government have agreed to authorise additional work of some £2½ million to be done during 1953, making a target of £41 million.

The extent to which this additional work can be carried out in 1953 will depend on conditions in each area and starting dates must be so arranged as to make no interference with more urgent building work, for example houses and industrial projects and schools.

The purpose will be to keep the labour and materials available in each area fully employed. This must result in some inequality as between different cities, but it seems better to proceed on this basis than to insist upon an equal sharing of hardship.

All this will be arranged in the normal way through the regional officers of the Ministry of Works in consultation with the representatives from the Ministry of Housing and the Ministry of Labour.

My right hon. Friend can assure the House that subject to the Government's policy of building more factories and houses the commercial and amenity buildings so eagerly desired by our blitzed cities will proceed as fast as labour and materials allow.

The allocations to be made to individual cities, in accordance with principles set out above, will be announced very shortly.