Oral Answers to Questions — Trade and Commerce – in the House of Commons am 12:00 am ar 29 Ebrill 1948.
asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will exercise requisitioning powers for the protection of tenants threatened with eviction, under buy-or-quit notices, from offices and workshops used for the production or distribution of supplies or services essential to the well-being of the community.
asked the President of the Board of Trade if he is prepared to requisition offices and small business premises in Scotland in cases where a notice to buy or quit his premises has been served on a tenant.
I can only requisition offices or business premises if I am satisfied that such a step is necessary or expedient for any of the purposes specified in the Supplies and Services (Transitional Powers) Act, 1945, and the Supplies and Services (Extended Purposes) Act, 1947. A number of cases have been reported of the kind to which my hon. Friends refer, and I am having inquiries made to see in which cases, if any, the use of the requisitioning powers would be justified.
Will my right hon. Friend bear in mind that the people who are engaged in the export drive depend to an appreciable extent upon the work of these small workshops?
The export drive is one of the purposes specified in those Acts, so that matter will be borne in mind.
In view of the fact that the Secretary of State for Scotland has taken action to requisition shops where necessary, does not my right hon. Friend agree that it will be a serious injustice if he does not take similar action with regard to offices and small business premises, and make that intention public?
The publicity given to this answer will be sufficient for that purpose. I can act in these matters only where the purposes of those Acts are affected.