§ 26. Mr. MONTAGUEasked the Minister of Health how many housing schemes have been approved by his Department since November, 1924, and how many are at present under consideration: what was the number of schemes under the Act of 1923 and the Act of 1924, respectively; what is the number of schemes approved where the houses are to be constructed of material other than brick; where the houses are to be built; and what was the method of construction approved in each case?
Mr. CHAMBERLAINAs the answer involves a number of figures I will, with the hon. Member's consent, circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
§ Following is the answer:
§ Since the end of November last 915 local authorities have received approval to proposals for the erection of houses under the Housing Act of 1923 and 414 under the Act of 1924. (241 local authorities received approval to schemes under both Acts.) The numbers of houses authorised are as follow:
| Housing Acts. | ||
| 1923. | 1924. | |
| Local authorities' schemes | 1,484 | 51,847 |
| Private enterprise schemes | 44,913 | 1,129 |
| Total | 46,397 | 52,976* |
| *Including 12,927 houses previously approved under the Act of 1923. |
§ Precise figures as to houses under consideration on the 1st instant are not available, but it can be said that practically all applications had been dealt with at that date.
§ With regard to the last part of the question it is not a condition of the grant of subsidy that my specific approval should he obtained to the erection of houses with materials other than bricks except in cases in which the type of construction is one for which a period of less than 60 years would be allowed for the repayment of a loan. I regret, therefore, that I have no complete information in regard to this point.
§ 35. Lieut.-Commander KENWORTHYasked the Minister of Health how many houses are now under construction under his scheme; and how many are under construction under the scheme introduced by his predecessor?
Mr. CHAMBERLAINOn the 1st June last, the latest date for which figures are available, 43,400 houses were under construction under the Housing, etc., Act, 1923, and 16,039 under the Housing (Financial Provisions) Act, 1924.
§ Lieut.-Commander KENWORTHYIs the right hon. Gentleman satisfied with the number of houses under construction, and, if not, does he propose any additional steps to make up for the shortage?
Mr. CHAMBERLAINIn view of all the circumstances, I do not think that these numbers can be regarded as unsatisfactory.
§ Mr. SNOWDENDo these figures apply only to houses built with Government assistance?
§ Lieut.-Commander KENWORTHYIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that these numbers hardly make up the normal shortage of houses owing to increased population, and that there are no additional houses to make up the previous shortage?
Mr. CHAMBERLAINNo, the hon. and gallant Member is under a misapprehension there. We have to take into account not only houses built with State assistance, but also the houses built without State assistance, and the figures at my disposal show that in the last 12 months for which I can get complete statistics, the number of houses built in this country is very much in excess of the number required for the ordinary replacement of old houses and for the increase of population.