§ MR. GEORGE FABER (York)To ask the President of the Local Government Board whether the aggregate number of empty houses in the cities and towns of this country is on the increase; and, if so, can he state the figures and to what cause or causes he attributes the increase.
(Answered by Mr. John Burns.) I am not able to give the information desired by the hon. Member. I may, however, draw his attention to the table on page 193 of the General Report on the Census of 1901, which gives some particulars as to the number of uninhabited houses in England and Wales at each census since 1801, and the proportion it bears to the number of houses which were inhabited. The observations, however, on page 36 of the Report should be read in connection with this table.