§ Sir HENRY NORMANasked the President of the Local Government Board if he would cause a survey to be made, under the direction of official inspectors, of all houses of a rental of 6s. per week and less in three or four boroughs, selected as typical of the conditions of housing of those employed in great industries, with a view to securing exact information as a guide to subsequent legislation?
§ Mr. BURNSProvision is contained in Section 17 of the Housing, Town Planning, etc., Act, 1909, under which local authorities are required to cause to be made an inspection of their districts, and, in pursuance of Regulations made by the Board under that section, information and particulars in regard to the work of inspection must be given in the annual reports of the medical officers of health. I have 1034 no reason to suppose that the information which will be available to the Board as the result of these inspections, and from other sources, will not suffice to meet requirements, but, if this should prove not to be the case, I will not lose sight of the suggestion of my hon. Friend.
§ Sir H. NORMANIn the case of any local authority not availing itself of its powers under the Act is the right hon. Gentleman prepared, on cause being shown, to send down one of the inspectors of the Board to make a survey of the land referred to?
§ Mr. BURNSIn the event of a local authority not using its powers under this Act, nor sending sufficient particulars in its annual report or otherwise, as in previous instances, I shall be pleased to send down a medical inspector from the Local Government Board to make an inspection and an inquiry into the whole sanitary circumstances of the district.