§ Mr. Awberyasked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs if his attention has been drawn to the difficulties experienced by owner-tenants under compulsory purchase orders; and if he will take steps to ease these difficulties by granting increased compensation for 285W the property taken, to bring it more into accord with present-day costs.
§ Mr. H. BrookeSince the passing of the Town and Country Planning Act, 1959, compensation for property acquired compulsorily has been based on market value. It is only in the case of unfit houses acquired under slum clearance powers that the general basis of compensation is the market value of the site. But full compensation for house and site is payable to owner-occupiers of such houses who purchased them between 1939 and 1955, and for owner-occupiers who do not qualify under this arrangement, provision has been made to entitle them to a payment not less than the gross value of the property. As this was reviewed by Parliament as recently as 1959, I have not in mind any changes.