§ 85. Mr. A. BENNETTasked the Minister of Health whether he is now able to inform the House what are the Government proposals with regard to housing; whether he will ask the opinions of the local authorities of this country, both large and small, as to the extent to which the particular proposals of the Government will be of use to them; and whether he is able, from the negotiations ho has carried on, to give any idea of the number of houses which are likely to be built under these proposals by the local authorities and by private enterprise, respectively?
Mr. CHAMBERLAINThe housing proposals of the Government will be embodied in the Bill to be introduced as soon as possible after the Recess. The chief points in the scheme and particularly the amount of subsidy to be provided by the Government have already been fully discussed with representatives of the Association of Municipal Corporations and of the larger boroughs, and general agreement has been reached that the subsidy is one which will enable building to be pressed forward with the utmost vigour and that building by private enterprise would have a prominent place in the programme of the local authorities. As regards the last part of the question, I do not propose to give any estimate of number, which must obviously depend on the activities of the various local authorities.
§ Mr. PRINGLEHas any provision been made in the scheme for the individual who wishes to build a house of the subsidised class for himself?
§ Mr. CLYNESHow can the right hon. Gentleman describe as private enterprise a plan which depends upon a public subsidy of money?