§ 52. Mr. GROVESasked the Minister of Health whether his attention has been called to the fact that the county boroughs of East Ham and West Ham have passed resolutions urging him to review the whole position of the incidence of local taxation, and asking, further, that he shall review the whole position of the repayment of loans granted to the West Ham Board of Guardians; whether he will take steps to obtain greater assistance from the national Exchequer to necessitous Poor Law areas, i.e., those areas where the rate for the relief of the poor is in excess of the average rate of the country; and what steps he proposes to take to give effect to these resolutions?
Mr. CHAMBERLAINThe position of what are known as the necessitous areas has been the subject of repeated discussion in this House, and I can add nothing to the statements made on behalf of the Government in those discussions.