66. Mr. De la Bèreasked the Minister of Health whether, in connection with the building of farm-workers' cottages in rural areas, he can now state if he proposes to adopt throughout these rural areas the standard plans which have been prepared by the Ministry of Works; and whether the rural district councils will be entirely precluded from submitting plans to meet the requirements of their individual areas?
§ The Minister of Health (Mr. Willink)The Ministry of Works were asked to prepare the plans referred to for use, in connection with the scheme for the provision of 3,000 agricultural cottages, by those local authorities who could not obtain reasonable tenders for the earlier plans. The answer to both parts of the Question is, therefore, "No, Sir."
Mr. De la BèreDoes the Minister realise how grievously the rural community need these cottages? Is it not very necessary to separate the truth from the false and the real from the unreal? What has been going on between the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Works and Buildings? I think we really ought to have some enlightenment as to why this delay has taken place. It is very unsatisfactory.