HC Deb 09 July 1924 vol 175 cc2241-3
42. Lieut. - Commander FLETCHER

asked the Minister of Health how many villages in the administrative county of Hampshire will be eligible to obtain the subsidy of £12 10s. per house under the new Housing Bill?

Mr. WHEATLEY

It is estimated that 116 parishes in the administrative county of Southampton would be treated as agricultural parishes under Clause 2 (2) of the Housing Bill.

78 Mr. E. BROWN

asked the Minister of Health (1) how many asylums for mentally defective persons are situated in agricultural parishes, and where they are situated;

(2) how many Poor Law institutions are situated in agricultural parishes, and where they are situated;

(3) whether any estimate has been prepared as to the number of villages rendered ineligible for the additional subsidy to agricultural parishes under the Housing (Financial Provisions) Bill owing to the presence of permanent railway works in those villages; and, if so, what the number is?

Mr. WHEATLEY

I am afraid that much of the information for which the hon. Member asks is not readily avail- able and could only be obtained at considerable labour and expense, which I do not think would be justified. The hon. Member will readily understand that it would be administratively impracticable to base any differentiation of areas for the purpose of housing subsidy on tile special features of individual parishes. I have given full consideration to the subject and I am satisfied that the only practicable way of dealing with it is on broad and simple lines such as I have proposed.

Mr. BROWN

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that he said, in answer to another question, that one third of the villages in England will be ineligible for the extra subsidy owing to the definition in the Bill, and is it not unfair to villages in which asylums, hospitals and permanent railway works happen to be situated that these particular villages, where agricultural workers are badly wanting cottages, should be refused the possibility of getting this extra subsidy?

Mr. WHEATLEY

I have no reason to doubt that what the hon. Member says is strictly accurate. It is difficult in this, as in everything else, to get equality. We can only do the best that is possible. I drafted this Clause and submitted it to the representatives of the rural areas and they unanimously accepted it, and I thought that they knew something about rural areas. Therefor, I took their acceptance as being satisfactory.

Colonel ASHLEY

Is this one of the Measures which the Government is providing for the benefit of agriculture?

Mr. WHEATLEY

It is a good deal more than the hon. Member's party did for the same people.

Mr. BROWN

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that the rural district councils had no time when his suggestion was put before them to go into the detailed cases of their own districts and see how the proposal would work out. Is he aware that in the Rugby Rural District Council area there are 31 villages, 10 of which are ineligible for the grants of £12 10s., eight on grounds that they slightly exceed the population ratio of 35 persons per 100 acres and two agricultural parishes, Combefields and Eascyhall, because the London Midland and Scottish Railway main line runs through them, and is he further aware that there are thousands of villages in the same position?

Mr. WHEATLEY

I agree that it was difficult in a day or two to consider this matter in all its bearings, but I would impress upon my hon. Friend that it is utterly impossible to proceed on the basis of dealing with each individual parish on its merits, and that no matter what general principle is laid down there will be hardship.

Mr. BROWN

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that we are not discussing the question of individual hardship, but that we are fighting for the rights of one third of the villages in England, Wales and Scotland?