§ Mr. LANSBURYasked the Minister of Health the number of casuals received in casual wards in England and Wales on 1st January, 1910, 1911, 1912, 1913, 1914, 1915, 1916, 1917, 1918, 1919, 1920, 1921, 1922, 1923, and 1924, respectively; and how many were women with children and how many were ex-service men?
Mr. CHAMBERLAINThe following are the particulars available:
being made for the housing of agriculturists under the Wheatley Act?
Mr. CHAMBERLAINSchemes hare been submitted by 67 local authorities in England and Wales for the erection of 1,542 houses in agricultural parishes under the Housing (Financial 2459W Provisions) Act, 1924, and of these 1,450 houses have so far been authorised, included in schemes of 65 local authorities. The counties in which these houses are to be erected are as follow:
Bedford. Lincoln. Berkshire. Montgomery. Cambridge. Norfolk. Cornwall. Northampton. Cumberland. Oxford. Denbigh. Pembroke. Devon. Salop. Dorset. Somerset. Essex. Suffolk. Gloucester. Warwick. Herts. Wiltshire. Huntingdon. Worcester. Isle of Ely. Yorkshire. Lancashire.
Mr. F. MITCHELLasked the Minister of Agriculture whether he is aware that the Council of Agriculture has urged additional Ministerial steps to provide a large number of houses suitable for agricultural workers in rural districts; that some of the local authorities are not sufficiently alive to the local housing needs in this respect; and what action he is taking in the matter?
Mr. CHAMBERLAINI am aware of the Resolution of the Council of Agriculture, and I can assure the hon. Member that I am fully alive to the importance of the rural housing problem. The provisions of the Housing Acts, which include special Exchequer grants intended to encourage the provision of houses in agricultural parishes, have been brought to the notice of the local authorities, and I anticipate that advantage will increasingly be taken of them. If my hon. Friend has any particular districts in mind, I shall be glad to make inquiries in regard to them.