§ 21. Colonel DAYasked the Minister of Health whether he is aware that early in 1922 the Metropolitan Borough Council of Southwark urged upon His Majesty's Government the desirability of legislation requiring the payment of rates in respect of houses held up for sale over long perods in order that higher prices may be obtained for such premises; and will he, in view of the continued shortage of houses to let and the later representations that have been made by the Southwark Council, take action with a view to the introduction of such legislation?
Mr. CHAMBERLAINI have considered this suggestion carefully but I do not think that it is a practicable one. I may say that proposals for the rating of empty property have been very fully discussed in the Committee on the Rating and Valuation Bill, and rejected.