§ 28. Mr. Ellis Smithasked the Minister of Health whether he is aware that, in a number of cases where subsidies were paid in respect of houses built under the Housing Act, 1923, the builders are alleged to have received the subsidy on condition that they sold the houses outright, including the land, for prices not exceeding £600 per house, and to have violated that condition by taking annual chief rents or ground rents in addition to the capital payment of £600; whether he has inquired or will inquire into these matters; and whether he will take steps to secure that such rents be remitted and all payments returned to the purchasers or that the subsidies be refunded?
§ Sir K. WoodI am aware of the circumstances referred to and have been in communication with the local authority concerned. I am advised that I have no power to secure the remission of the annual chief rents to the purchasers, but I am considering the question of the extent to which Exchequer contributions must be withdrawn in respect of the cases where there has been a breach of the conditions of the grant.
§ Mr. SmithIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that most of the men who obtained these houses under the subsidy were ex-service men, and will he give special consideration to the matter in view of the circumstances in which they found themselves at that time?
§ Sir K. WoodYes. This is a very regrettable case. As I daresay the hon. Member knows, the conditions which I suggested were not fulfilled, and I regret that I have no power to deal further with the matter.
§ Mr. SmithIs it not a fact that before these agreements were arrived at,the sanction of the Ministry of Health had to be obtained?
§ Sir K. WoodYes, and sanction was given under certain conditions which, I regret to say, were apparently not completed so far as these particular contracts were concerned.
§ 51. Mr. Whiteleyasked the Minister of Health whether he is now in a position to revive the housing subsidy in order to enable local authorities to provide houses 1943 for people who cannot be accommodated under the slum-clearance and overcrowding schemes?
§ Sir K. WoodI am satisfied that the energies of local authorities and the available resources of the building industry will be fully occupied for some time to come in dealing with the more urgent problem of housing for slum clearance and the abatement of overcrowding, for which substantial Exchequer subsidies are already available.
§ Mr. WhiteleyIs not the right hon. Gentleman aware of the very long list of people who are still waiting for houses, and whom these two schemes will not accommodate for a long time to come; and will he not take this very important fact into consideration as early as possible?
§ Sir K. WoodI would ask the hon. Member to read what I said about this matter on the Estimates. I am asking the local authorities to concentrate as much as possible on slum clearance and overcrowding at the present time.
§ Mr. R. J. TaylorIs the Minister aware that in many areas in this country the local authorities are still dealing in rotation with applications that were made in 1931 and 1932 for council houses; and is he aware, further, that slum clearance will not solve the question of shortage of houses?