asked the Minister of Health whether he will consult with the Minister of Works with a view to the release of the property, Channel View, Courtenay Place, Teignmouth, to the urban district council of Teignmouth in order to ease the acute housing position in that town.

In July, 1946, I agreed to requisitioning by the council. In September, they decided not to requisition. In April, 1947, they applied again for powers to requisition, but in the meantime the Ministry of Works had arranged to make the premises available as offices urgently required for the Ministry of Food, and at this stage I have felt unable to disagree with their proposal.

Would the Minister look again into this question, and would he realise that this property was derequisitioned by the council in view of the fact that the owner was turning it into flats, that the housing situation in Teignmouth is worse than in most places, and that there is considerable public indignation with the Ministry of Works in making this accommodation available for Government offices?

If there is public indignation in Teignmouth, obviously it should be diverted to the local authority which, in this case, was offered the premises and refused them; and in the meantime we had to make use of them for other appropriate purposes.