§ 80. Mr. HARRISasked the Minister of Health what are the estimated needs of London for houses to meet the present shortage and do away with both overcrowding and slums; how many houses have been completed since the Armistice 2553 by the London County Council, the London borough councils, and the City Corporation, respectively; and whether the building that has gone on since 1918 has done more than meet the normal increase of the population?
Mr. CHAMBERLAINA reliable estimate of the present shortage of houses in London is not available. The total number of houses completed since the Armistice are as follow:
| By the London County Council | 6,906 |
| By the City of London | 316 |
| By the Metropolitan boroughs | 5,650 |
| Total | 12,872 |
§ In addition 654 tenements have been provided by Metropolitan boroughs by the conversion of larger houses and 640 houses were built in the County of London under the private builders' subsidy scheme. In a report made to the County Council as a result of an exhaustive investigation made in November, 1921, the valuer and medical officer state: "Since 1919 the number of houses provided has probably not met the growth of requirements during the period." As the hon. Member is doubtless aware, the Census for 1921 showed that the population of the County had decreased by 38,436 since 1911.