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28
and the owners of property were quite willing and anxious to do
the work because the cost of the work was, to a large extent, being
met by the War Damage Commission.
Conditions have now altered, and for the past few years increased
difficulty has been experienced in securing repairs to
premises in accordance with the requirements of Notices served
under the Public Health (London) Act, 1936, and to some extent
also in connection with Notices served under the Housing Act, 1936.
The high cost of building repairs at the present time, as compared
with pre-war days, is largely responsible for this position. It is
estimated that there is an increase in the cost of building repairs
today of 300 per cent. on pre-war prices. An owner of property may
be faced with the necessity of expending an amount of money on
repairs to a house to comply with a Notice which could not be
recovered from the rentals of the property over a period of many
years because, of course, the majority of rentals remain at the
standard control.
In some cases, where only a short period remains unexpired
on leasehold property, the owner, seeing his liability to a big
expenditure to meet the cost of repairs, ceases to collect the rent
and takes no further interest in the property. In such cases, the
Council is in a most difficult position. Similarly, where an owner
has no income other than that from the property, he finds it impossible
to get a builder to carry out the repairs because the cost
of the work cannot be found upon completion. In both these
cases the repairs may have to be carried out in the first instance
at the Council's expense, and the costs of the work recovered from
the property, whether the Notice on which the work is done has
been served under the Public Health (London) Act, 1936 or under
the Housing Act, 1936.
This problem of the local authority having to carry out repairs in
default of the owner is increasing.
On the 6th April, 1950, the following question was asked in
the House of Commons by Mr. Eric Fletcher:—"Is my Right Hon.
Friend satisfied that in the numerous cases where landlords are not
doing repairs, local authorities are exercising their powers to do
repairs?" Mr. Bevan replied:—”The local authorities, of course,
have very considerate powers in this matter, and it is my view that in
very many instances, they do not exercise the powers to the extent which
they should.”
The Minister of Health may, no doubt, be correct in saying
that in many instances, local authorities do not exercise their