§ 24. Mr. Pilkingtonasked the Minister of Health how many houses have now been built, or are in course of building, to replace slum-dwellings and to relieve overcrowding, respectively; and how many more it is estimated are needed in each case?
§ Mr. ElliotThe numbers of dwellings completed at 31st March last to replace slum dwellings and for the abatement of overcrowding were 273,255 and 23,915 respectively. At that date about 51,000 dwellings were under construction under the Housing Acts, most of which will be allocated to the above purposes. No exact estimate of the number of further houses required is possible at the moment, but it is probably about 250,000 to 300,000.
§ Mr. PilkingtonWhen does my right hon. Friend hope that this extra number will be completed?
§ Mr. ElliotI cannot say without notice.
§ 31. Mr. Dayasked the Minister of Health the number of houses built by private enterprise with State assistance for letting and/or sale for the 12 months ended to the last convenient date; and the number of houses at present in the course of construction?
§ Mr. ElliotDuring the 12 months ended 31st March, 1939, the latest date for which figures are available, 4,196 houses were built by private enterprise with State assistance. The number of such houses under construction at that date was 2,253. It may be assumed that all the above-mentioned houses have been, or are being, built for letting.
§ Mr. DayHas the Minister any statistics of the number of these houses which are occupied by the owners or the persons who built them?
§ Mr. ElliotNearly all these houses are for letting and not for the owners.