SIR HOWARD VINCENTI beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if his attention has been called to an inquiry recently undertaken on behalf of the Toynbee trustees into the effect of alien immigration in the East End of London, and to the report made by their Commissioners to the effect that considerable areas in St. George's-in-the-East and other adjacent districts are being denuded of Gentile population, the properties sold, and the old tenants replaced by immigrants paying abnormally high rents, and defraying the expense by taking in an improper number of lodgers; and, in such case, what steps His Majesty's Government propose to take in the matter, bearing in mind their announced desire to deal with the better housing of the working classes.
§ * THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE HOME DEPARTMENT (Mr. RITCHIE,) CroydonI have no wish to minimise the nature of the serious problem indicated in the question; but if by an improper number of lodgers my hon. and gallant friend means such a number as creates 348 overcrowding, the local authority has full power to deal with the question under the existing law.