§ MR. JOHN WILSON (Govan)I beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury whether he will lay on the Table a statement showing the number of working-men's Building Societies that have received loans from the Public Loan Commissioners, and the amounts so advanced; and whether, considering that the Commissioners only advance to the extent of one-half of the whole value of buildings, will this amount be extended to three-fourths?
§ THE SECRETARY TO THE TREASURY (Sir J. T. HIBBERT, Oldham)A statement of the loans made by the Public Works Loan Commissioners for labourers' dwellings is already published every year in the Commissioners' Annual Report to Parliament, and on page 18 of their Report for 1891–2 will be found a list of such loans outstanding on March 31 last. Their next Report will continue this information up to March 31, 1893. The limit of one-half the value up to which the Public Works Loan Commissioners have power to lend is fixed by Statute; and in face of the decided opinion of the Commissioners, specially constituted by Parliament an independent body, against extending the limit, I can hold out no hope that the Government will propose legislation with that object.