Orders of the Day — Requisitioned Premises (Com- Pensation)

Part of the debate – in the House of Commons at on 25 March 1943.

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Photo of Lieut-Colonel Sir Walter Smiles Lieut-Colonel Sir Walter Smiles , Blackburn

I have seen the effects of some of this requisitioning. It was said of the Minister who started it that he was ready to requisition the bed from under his dying grandmother. The next Minister was even worse and it was popularly said about him that he would not only requisition the bed from under his dying grandmother, but would kick her when she was down. There has been a great deal of injustice done to some of these people and the waste of money is tremendous. It will, eventually, have to be settled up by the taxpayer. I know of one instance in which a weaving shed was requisitioned early in the war and its looms were sent to a place in the country which had not been used for 10 years. After a year that place was required for the making of explosives and the looms had to be moved a second time. The owner said that if they were moved another time they would be fit for nothing. Eventually, a fair solution was come to as between a willing buyer and a willing seller. The Government bought the looms because they would have been of no use again, and the owner was satisfied. There are many cases all over the country of works that have been requisitioned and the smaller men do not know whether they will have the money with which to start again. I have done my best to save some of these little men, because not only is the man himself thrown out of business, but his old employees who have been in the business all their lives have their employment finished forever.