§ 29. Mr. JAMES PARKERasked the President of the Local Government Board whether Dr. Manby, of his Department, on the 16th June, 1911, visited the urban district council of Prestwich, and found that the provisions of the Housing, Town Planning, etc., Act were not being carried out; that on Dr. Manby's advice the urban district council, on the 19th July in that year, appointed their inspector of nuisances for the purposes of Section 17 of that Act; whether the Local Government Board have during this year received a letter from the aforesaid council asking consent to the dismissal of the inspector of nuisances, and have inquired on what grounds such request has been made; if so, what answer has been received; and whether, under the circumstances, he proposes in the interests of the public health to cause a public inquiry to be made into the sanitary condition of, and the administration of sanitary law in, the area of the urban district council of Prestwich?
§ The PRESIDENT of the LOCAL GOVERNMENT BOARD (Mr. Burns)I am aware that Dr. Manby visited Prestwich in June, 1911. He reported to the effect that it was then the intention of the urban district council to designate the inspector of nuisances for the purposes of Section 17 of the Act of 1909, and this was subsequently done. In reply to a letter from the Council asking for consent to the termination of the inspector of nuisances' appointment, the Local Government Board wrote asking for a statement of the reasons for the proposal. The council replied to the effect that the matter had been deferred owing to the probability of further changes taking place in the health department, and they asked whether they could give the inspector of nuisances notice to terminate his appointment on 30th June next. The Board replied that this could be done, but that, if such notice was given, they should be furnished with a statement of reasons. If the notice is given, and the reasons furnished seem to me to be insufficient, I will consider the question of an inspection of the district.
§ 30. Sir A. GRIFFITH-BOSCAWENasked the number of local authorities who have applied to the Local Government Board for permission to prepare town-planning schemes, the number of authorities to whom such permission has been granted, and the number of town-planning schemes prepared or adopted by-local authorities which have been approved by the Local Government Board; and whether the Local Government Board has issued any sets of general provisions under Clause 55 (1) of the Act of 1909 for carrying out town-planning schemes?
§ Mr. BURNSThe number of local authorities who have applied for permission to-prepare town-planning schemes is twenty-six. These applications relate to thirty-four schemes. The number of local authorities to whom the permission has been granted is fifteen in respect of twenty schemes. Three schemes have been prepared and submitted for approval, but have not yet been finally approved. The answer to the last inquiry is in the negative. The information asked for is contained in the White Paper presented to the House on the 12th instant, except that one application for authority to prepare a scheme has been received since that date.