§ 19. Sir ARTHUR MICHAEL SAMUELasked the Minister of Health whether he will issue a list of public works involving an individual expenditure of more than £25,000, excluding slum clearance, the building of dwelling houses, schools and labour exchanges, upon which public authorities, at this date, desire to embark by means of a loan-expansion policy, with or without Government aid; and will he also state the total estimated expenditure and the number of persons likely to be employed upon feasible schemes?
§ The MINISTER of HEALTH (Sir Hilton Young)This information could be obtained only by means of a return from the local authorities: and the return and deductions based on it would be subject to so many qualifications, as to its inclusive character, practicability of schemes, probable cost and extent of employment, and the dates by which employment would be available, as to have no practical value. Local schemes at any given moment are at all stages of preparation, and, before actual loan sanction, require careful examination. The statements already made have re- 1897 moved any doubt as to the ready sanction which awaits proposals for public works of a remunerative or useful character.
§ Sir A. M. SAMUELHas not my right hon. Friend already in his Department a list of the type of public works which I have described in my Question; and could he not issue to us such a list, so that we might see whether there is any foundation for the statement that a system of loan expansion would help employment?
§ Sir H. YOUNGNo, Sir; there is, in fact, no such list in existence.