§ 12. Mr. CRAVEN-ELLISasked the Minister of Health the total annual charge upon the taxpayers and ratepayers for housing, including all schemes undertaken since 1918; what is the estimated annual charge for the recently announced slum-clearance and overcrowding schemes; and for how many years will all these charges remain a liability upon the taxpayers and ratepayers?
§ Mr. SHAKESPEAREAs the answer involves a tabular statement, I will, with my hon. Friend's permission, circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
§ Following in the answer:
§ Housing Schemes—England and Wales.
§ Amount of Exchequer contributions paid in each financial year, and the amount of expenditure incurred by local authorities which was not met out of specific receipts.
| Financial Year. | Exchequer Contributions paid. | Expenditure by local authorities not met out of specific receipts. | Total. |
| £ | £ | £ | |
| 1919–20 | 20,455 | 560,506 | 580,961 |
| 1920–21 | 3,097,301 | 1,180,345 | 4,277,646 |
| 1921–22 | 9,109,366 | 1,070,210 | 10,179,576 |
| 1922–23 | 9,655,398 | 816,477 | 10,471,875 |
| 1923–24 | 7,857,815 | 769,667 | 8,627,482 |
| 1924–25 | 8,050,132 | 1,240,659 | 9,290,791 |
| 1925–26 | 7,833,756 | 1,812,062 | 9,645,818 |
| 1926–27 | 8,376,044 | 2,375,887 | 10,751,931 |
| 1927–28 | 9,540,976 | 2,835,718 | 12,376,694 |
| 1928–29 | 10,669,974 | 3,003,786 | 13,673,760 |
| 1929–30 | 11,132,803 | 2,588,591 | 13,721,394 |
| 1930–31 | 11,875,806 | 3,076,245 | 14,952,051 |
| 1931–32 | 12,731,603 | 2,995,427 | 15,727,030 |
| 1932–33 | 13,349,758 | Information not yet available. | — |
| 1933–34 | 13,432,626 | — |
§ It is estimated that the annual charge to the Exchequer and local authorities when the programmes of slum clearance schemes so far submitted have been carried into effect will be about £3,100,000 and £1,070,000 respectively. It is not yet possible to furnish an estimate of the annual charge in connection with the proposed scheme for the relief of overcrowding.
§ These charges will remain a liability upon the Exchequer up to a maximum period of 60 years from the date of completion of the houses subject to some variation (1) when loans are repaid under the Act of 1919 and (2) when subsidy ceases at the end of 20 years in the case of the Act of 1923 and at the end of 40 years in the case of the Acts of 1924 and 1930.
§ The liability on the local rates will continue with some variation for substantially the same period.