§ MR. GOSCHENasked the Secretary to the Treasury, Whether any applications for Loans had been made under the Act of last Session "for enabling the Public Works Loan Commissioners to make advances towards the erection of Dwellings for the Labouring Classes;" and, how any such applications have been dealt with?
§ MR. HUNTsaid, there had been ten applications made for loans under the Act. The Treasury had made certain rules with reference to such applications, and those rules required that application should be made in the first instance to the Public Works Loan Commissioners, who were to forward the plans to the Board of Works for approval, and no money was to be advanced unless the latter Board certified that the building was suitable for the purpose for which it was intended. Ten applications had been sent in; of these, six did not give sufficient information to justify the Public Works Loan Commissioners in sending the plans to the Board of Works, and these applications had been returned for further information. Four applications had been sent to the Board of Works; and a doubt arose as to whether the plans could be certified, unless certain requirements were agreed to. The consequence was that bye-laws had been, with some difficulty, drawn up within the last few days. One application had received the sanction of the Board of Works, and had gone back to the Commissioners for their decision as to what sum was to be advanced if any advance were made. In respect of another application the Board of Works required 342 further information; as to another, the plans were being considered; and in the fourth case the plans had been objected to. He understood that application would be shortly made for £20,000 by a limited liability company.