§ 27. Major Legge-Bourkeasked the Minister of Health if he will give an estimate of the number of houses required throughout England and Wales to provide all district nurses with houses of their own.
§ Mr. BevanI cannot readily estimate the number, but I have impressed upon local authorities the importance of their help in this important matter.
§ Major Legge-BourkeArising out of that reply and the answer which the right hon. Gentleman gave me on Thursday of last week, does not he realise that local authorities are finding it extremely difficult to comply with the request of the Minister so long as the total allocation of houses is limited to what it is; and in view of the very real need will he reconsider granting an increased allocation to local authorities ready to build houses for district nurses?
§ Mr. BevanI cannot increase the size of the housing programme because that is limited by various considerations mentioned last Monday in the course of the Debate on housing, but that does not mean that local authorities cannot within their allocation give priority to certain classes, such as this.
§ Major Legge-BourkeWould not the right hon. Gentleman consider releasing a certain amount of building materials, used for other purposes than housing, for the express purpose of housing district nurses.
§ Mr. BevanNo, Sir, because that would assume that there is something wrong at the moment with the balance between the amount of materials provided for housing and other services; and we consider that we have struck the right balance.
§ Mrs. Jean MannDoes this mean that the district nurse must live in her own house, and will not be allowed to live with her own husband?