§ 60. Mr. LANSBURYasked the Minister of Health whether he has received a communication from the medical officer of health for the borough of Poplar enclosing a statement of 40 typical cases of serious overcrowding in the borough and specially drawing attention to the fact that in every case a person suffering from tuberculosis is living and sleeping with the men, women, and children existing under these conditions; whether he is aware that the medical officer of health for Poplar, on the instructions of the health committee, has on many occasions made representations to Ministers of Health urging that the law should be put into operation for clearing the slum areas in the borough and that the official reply of the Ministry has always been that the local and national finances did not permit of these unhealthy areas being dealt with; and will he give instructions to one of the officers of his Department to proceed to Poplar and advise the medical 1370 officer of health and the borough council what steps they should take in order to deal efficiently with the prevailing conditions, which daily become more deplorable?
Mr. CHAMBERLAINThe answer to the first question is in the affirmative. The answer to the second question is that I am not, as at present advised, aware of official correspondence between the Ministry of Health and the Medical Officer of Health of the character mentioned or of such official statements as are mentioned. The answer to the third is that the nature of the action which can be taken in such regrettable conditions, short of rehousing the people, should be within the knowledge of the Medical Officer of Health. As regards rehousing, I may add that it is for the Borough Council of Poplar to approach the London County Council with a view to proper consideration of the claim of the borough for inclusion in the general scheme of slum improvement in London which is under consideration, and for which State assistance would be forthcoming under the Housing Bill.
§ Mr. LANSBURYIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that for the past 30 years the Poplar Council, and before the Poplar Council the Poplar District Board of Works, has been representing to the central authorities these areas, and that as long ago as 1920 ten areas were represented to the London County Council, and two years ago the right hon. Gentleman's own Department held an inquiry, and not a single one of these areas has been dealt with, and children, women and men are suffering—[HON. MEMBERS: "Speech!"] The right hon. Gentleman makes a statement. Is he also aware that at least a dozen deputations have been to the Minister of Health on this very subject?
§ Mr. SPEAKERThe hon. Gentleman makes his supplementary questions too long.
§ 61. Mr. LANSBURYasked the Minister of Health whether he has received a communication from the Clerk to the Poplar Guardians, enclosing a letter from a resident in the union, stating that the writer together with his wife and three children are living in one room, that the family consists of a boy aged 10 and two 1371 girls aged 12 and 16 years, that in the house there are in all three families, 12 children and 6 adults, that the room occupied by the man, wife, and three children is 9 feet by 12 feet, that one child is sick; is it a fact that this man asked for accommodation in the workhouse in order that his children might be spared the indecency of living and sleeping under such conditions; and what steps does he propose to take to assist boards of guardians in dealing with such cases?
Mr. CHAMBERLAINI have received the letter referred to by the hon. Member. I understand that the man in question has now applied for a house on one of the London County Council Estates, and further inquiries are being made to see whether the case can be dealt with in this way.