§ Mr. GEORGE ROBERTSasked the President of the Local Government Board if he has received a report of an inquiry recently held at Litcham under the Housing of the Working Classes Act; whether parents are sending children out to sleep because of the lack of bedroom accommodation, thereby involving the break-up of family life; and whether, in view of the admitted scarcity of houses and the consequent overcrowding, together with the apparent inability of the local council to deal with the problem, he contemplates any action in the matter?
§ Mr. BURNSI am informed that the formal report of the committee of the rural district council of Mitford and Launditch on the inquiry recently held by them into housing conditions at Litcham has not yet been made to the council, but I have seen an account of the proceedings at the inquiry, and will not lose sight of the matter.
§ Mr. GEORGE ROBERTSasked the President of the Local Government Board if his attention has been directed to the inconvenient hour, namely, eleven o'clock in the morning, at which the Mitford and Launditch Rural District Council held an inquiry under the Housing of the Working Classes Act at Litcham on the 6th instant; and whether, as this time rendered it impossible for the labouring class to attend, he will cause an inquiry to be held in the evening, when those most concerned in the question of housing accommodation may be present?
§ Mr. BURNSI understand the inquiry was held at 11.30. As my hon. Friend will have gathered from my reply to his previous question, the inquiry was one fixed and held by the rural district council, and I had no responsibility for the fixing of the time. Any inquiry which the Board may find it necessary to hold in the matter will be opened not earlier than 6 p.m.