§ * MR. SEARS (Cheltenham)I beg to ask the President of the Local Government Board if he will state the total number of advances made by local authorities under the Small Dwellings Act, 1899, to the present time, distinguishing between those in the county of London and the rest of the kingdom.
§ * THE PRESIDENT OF THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT BOARD (Mr. JOHN BURNS,) BatterseaAs regards London, I am informed that the total number of advances made by the County Council under the Act up to the end of 1905 was ten. Advances have, I believe, also been made by some of the Motropoltitan Borough Councils, but I do not know the number. As regards England and Wales, excluding London, the only information in my possession relates to cases of application by local authorities to the Local Government Board for sanction to loans under the Act. The total number of these applications up to the end of 1905 was ninety-seven.
§ MR. CROOKS (Woolwich)asked whether the Act had done much to prevent overcrowding.