§ Mr. CREANasked whether the right hon. Gentleman can state the amount advanced to local bodies in Ireland under the Working Classes Act, 1908; whether such advances are limited to the interest on the capital sum named in that Act—namely, £180,000; and if so, as that amount is not sufficient to meet the requirements of the urban councils in Ireland, he will make provision to increase the Grant-in-Aid to 2230 facilitate those councils in the erection of sanitary holdings for the working classes?
§ Mr. HOBHOUSEThe amount advanced up-to-date to local authorities in Ireland under the Housing of the Working Classes Act, 1908, is £52,520. There is no limit as to the amount which, subject to compliance with the requirements of the Local Government Board and the Treasury, may be advanced under the Act. The hon. Member is, I think, confusing the capital advances under the Act with the capital of the Housing Fund (£180,000) created by Sections 4 and 5. The former section made the sum of £180,000 available for investment—the investments to form the Housing Fund; the income from the Housing Fund is allocated yearly in aid of the loan repayments by local authorities under the Act.