§ MR. ARTHUR HENDERSON (Durham, Barnard Castle)To ask the President of the Local Government Board if he will state the names of the thirty-three local authorities who applied for permission to establish distress committees and were refused, giving the population within their areas, and also the names of 1204 the eleven authorities who applied and afterwards withdrew their application, giving the population in each case.
(Answered by Mr. John Burns.) The following tables give the information for which my hon. friend asks. Table A refers to the thirty-three local authorities and Table B to the eleven local authorities to whom he refers:—
| Table A. | |
| Local Authority. | Population (1901). |
| Bath T.C. | 49,839 |
| *Loughborough T.C. | 21,508 |
| Ealing T.C. | 33,031 |
| *Folkestone T.C. | 30,379 |
| Woking U.D.C. | 18,349 |
| Southend-on-Sea T.C. | 28,857 |
| *Chiswick U.D.C. | 29,809 |
| Stoke-upon-Trent T.C. | 30,458 |
| Exeter T.C. | 47,185 |
| Aldershot U.D.C. | 30,974 |
| Chesterfield T.C. | 27,185 |
| Gray's Thurrock U.D.C. | 13,834 |
| Wakefield T.C. | 41,413 |
| Twickenham U.D.C. | 20,991 |
| Brentford U.D.C. | 15,171 |
| Barking Town U.D.C. | 21,547 |
| Wellingborough U.D.C. | 18,412 |
| Todmordon T.C. | 25,418 |
| *Brighouse T.C. | 21,735 |
| Kingston-upon-Thames T.C. | 34,375 |
| Winchester T.C. | 20,929 |
| Dewsbury T.C. | 28,060 |
| Harrogate T.C. | 28,423 |
| Wood Green U.D.C. | 34,233 |
| Handsworth U.D.C. | 13,404 |
| Keighley T.C. | 41,564 |
| Hartlepool T.C. | 22,723 |
| Wimbledon T.C. | 41,652 |
| Eccles T.C. | 34,369 |
| Portland U.D.C. | 15,199 |
| Finchley U.D.C. | 22,126 |
| Bingley U.D.C. | 18,449 |
| Barry U.D.C. | 27,030 |
§
Note.—An application was also made in 1905 by the Southall Norwood Urban District Council. This was not assented to at that time. A further application from this urban district council in 1907 was not proceeded with. This case has been included among the applications abandoned. See Table B.
*Fresh application now under consideration.
| Table B. | |
| Local Authority. | Population (1901). |
| Gosport and Alverstoke U.D.C. | 28,884 |
| Gloucester T.C. | 47,955 |
| Darlington T.C. | 44,511 |
| Aberdare U.D.C. | 43,365 |
| Pontefract T.C. | 13,427 |
| Castleford U.D.C. | 17,386 |
| Crewe T.C. | 42,074 |
| Macclesfield T.C. | 34,624 |
| *Darwen T.C. | 38,212 |
| Llanelly U.D.C. | 25,617 |
| †Southall Norwood U.D.C. | 13,200 |
§ I may add that since I replied to my hon. friend's Question of the 2nd November, I have agreed to the establishment of a distress committee at Barking Town, which is one of the places mentioned in Table A, and also in the following cases—
| Local Authority. | Population (1901.) |
| Maidstone T.C. | 33,516 |
| Nelson T.C. | 32,816 |
| Swindon T.C. | 45,006 |
| Hebburn U.D.C. | 20,901 |
| Hartlepool T.C. | 22,723 |
§ I have also declined, on the information before me, to set up distress committees at the present time in the following cases—
| Local Authority. | Population (1901.) |
| Oldbury U.D.C. | 25,191 |
| Willenhall U.D.C. | 18,515 |
| Leigh T.C. | 40,001 |
| Tunstall U.D.C. | 24,709 |
| Burslem T.C. | 38,766 |
§ Note.—T.C. means Town Council, and U.D.C. Urban District Council.