§ 29. Sir W. DAVISONasked the Minister of Health whether he was aware that a large amount of land in the vicinity of towns hitherto used as playing fields was now being scheduled for housing schemes, in anticipation of the Housing, Town Planning, etc., Bill becoming law; and whether he would take immediate steps to secure the retention of adequate facilities for open-air games in the vicinity of all towns, especially having regard to the fact that by the building of additional houses the existing playing fields required extension rather than curtailment, as was likely to be the case unless immediate action was taken?
§ Mr. PARKER (Lord of the Treasury)My right hon. Friend is not yet in a position to say to what extent preliminary negotiations are being undertaken by local authorities for the acquisition of land hitherto used as playing-fields, but he fully appreciates the importance of the consideration to which the hon. Member refers, and the matter is one which will be carefully borne in mind by the Housing Commissioners in connection with particular schemes submitted by individual local authorities.
§ Sir W. DAVISONWill the local authorities have power to purchase land for playing-fields in connection with housing schemes, and to hire these lands out to the public for amusements?
§ Mr. PARKERMy hon. Friend had better put down a question about that.