§ 2. Sir Reginald Clarryasked the Minister of Labour what Government subsidy or losses have been incurred, after including all charges such as rent, rates, lighting and heating, by the operations to date of the National Service Hostels Corporation, Limited?
§ Mr. BevinIn respect of industrial hostels, including those managed by private firms as agents, the excess of payments by the Hostels Corporation over receipts for the period from 23rd May, 1941 (the date of incorporation of the Corporation), to 31st December, 1942, was approximately £135,000, in addition to certain outstanding but unascertained liabilities for rates, lighting, heating, etc. The financial arrangements between my Ministry and the Corporation in respect of these hostels provide that no rent shall be payable by the Corporation and that the net losses shall be made good by the Exchequer. In addition, the Hostels Corporation are operating temporary hostels for the Ministry of Health and constructional camps hostels for the Ministry of Works. In respect of these operations, grants have been made to the Corporation by those Ministries, totalling £80,500 and £7,550, respectively.
§ Sir Granville GibsonIs there any reason to believe that these heavy losses have been incurred through inefficient management?
§ Mr. BevinNo, it has been a question of filling them, to a large extent, and of the constant movement of people.
§ Mr. WakefieldAbout how much per head of the people in the hostels would the loss amount to?
§ Mr. GallacherWould the Minister admit that in general the managements are inefficient?
§ 3. Sir R. Clarryasked the Minister of Labour how many hostels are now operated by the National Services Hostels Corporation, Limited; the total number of beds available to residents; how many of these beds remained unlet on the 1st 1920 January last or any other recent convenient date; and what is the total number of employees of the Corporation, including the whole of the administrative staff?
§ Mr. BevinOn 5th February, 1943, the number of industrial hostels being operated by the National Service Hostels Corporation, direct or through agents, was 30, some of which had only recently been opened. The total number of beds available to residents was 17,727, of which 5,968 were unlet on that day. The number of direct employees of the Corporation at the hostels is 2,335, and 496 are employed at the four hostels managed by private firms as agents. The Hostels Corporation operates hostels also for my right hon. Friends the Minister of Health and the Minister of Works, and the headquarters and area staff of the Corporation, totalling 105, are partly engaged in administering these hostels, and also in preparatory work for the opening of further industrial hostels.
§ Sir Herbert WilliamsAre we to understand that the staff is in the proportion of one to five of the residents?