§ 23. Mr. STOURTONasked the Minister of Health the total number of houses to be demolished under the five-year plan; and if all local authorities approached by the Ministry have now submitted satisfactory schemes?
§ The PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY to the MINISTRY of HEALTH (Mr. Shakespeare)The programmes received contemplate the demolition and replacement of 224,515 houses containing over 1,000,000 persons. There are in all 1,716 authorities of which 591 are rural. One thousand six hundred and four have made returns; of these 1,257 have been accepted. The remaining 347, together with the 112 who have not yet made a return, are under investigation and discussion with the authorities concerned.
§ 24. Mr. HICKSasked the Minister of Health whether he has any information to give the House on the position of slum clearance?
§ Mr. SHAKESPEAREI would refer the hon. Member as regards the work to be undertaken under the Government's new campaign to the reply given to-day to my hon. Friend the Member for South Salford (Mr. Stourton). As regards actual progress, during the year 1933 orders were confirmed under the 1930 Act providing for the demolition of 10,313 houses, while approvals were given for building 15,667 new houses under the Act. The corresponding figures for the whole period between the passing of the Act and the end of 1932 were 6,449 and 9,902, respectively.
§ Mr. HERBERT WILLIAMSIs it proposed to publish reports of the inquiries which are now taking place in various areas?
§ Mr. MORGAN JONESIncluding Croydon?
§ Mr. SHAKESPEAREI shall want notice of that question.
Viscountess ASTORIs the hon. Gentleman satisfied that, in the life of this Government, they will, at the rate they are going, tackle more than half the slums?
§ Mr. SHAKESPEAREI am quite satisfied that, if one takes any proper and well-known test, the magnitude of this evil is being met by the magnitude of the effort.