§ 10. Mr. Derek Walker-Smithasked the Minister of Health how many of the 120,000 families provided with homes in the London region in the 16 months before 18th September, 1946, had been so provided before 3rd August, 1945; and how many had been provided with homes by requisitioning and/or the repair of war damage, temporary hutments, temporary houses, new local authority housing, new private enterprise housing and by any other method, specifying the same, respectively.
§ Mr. BevanPrecise figures are not available for the dates mentioned, but the number of units of accommodation provided between 1st April, 1945, and 3rd August, 1945, was approximately 39,000. As the remainder of the reply involves a number of figures I will, with permission, circulate them in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
§ Mr. Walker-SmithWould the Minister agree that a substantial proportion of those houses were provided under an Administration other than his own? With regard to the second part of the Question, would he say, in advance of the figures which he is going to make known—
§ Mr. StokesThe hon. Member is reading.
§ Mr. Walker-SmithThis is merely the Order Paper I have before me.
§ Mr. StokesWe know that.
§ Mr. Walker-SmithWould the Minister say that, when these figures are given, they will show that a very small proportion of the 120,000 were, in fact, provided by his chosen instrument, the local authorities?
§ Mr. BevanIt is perfectly correct that the previous Administration did not completely fail to provide any sort of accommodation whatsoever. It is also true to say that the amount of accommodation provided by the previous Administration 1035 was made easier by the fact that they were able to deal with those houses that were only slightly damaged. We are now having to deal with those houses more grievously damaged, which take longer
| ADDITIONAL UNITS OF FAMILY ACCOMMODATION PROVIDED IN THE LONDON REGION. | |||
| — | 1st April, 1945 to 3rd August, 1945. | 3rd August, 1945 to 31st August, 1946. | Total. |
| New Permanent houses: | |||
| Local Authority | Nil | 643 | 643 |
| Private enterprise | Nil | 1,278 | 1,278 |
| Rebuilding of destroyed houses | Nil | 746 | 746 |
| Temporary houses | 1,756 | 9,125 | 10,981 |
| Emergency huts | 1,720 | 1,760 | 3,480 |
| Repair of war damage (including requisitioned properties). | Approximately 32,000 | Approximately 50,000 | 82,333 |
| Conversions and adaptations (including requisitioned proper-ties). | Approximately 3,500 | Approximately 11,500 | 14,781 |
| Totals | Approximately 39,000 | Approximately 75,000 | 114,242 |