§ 36. Mr. Palmerasked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs if he will reconsider, in the interests of equality of treatment with neighbouring authorities, his decision not to allow the special industrial subsidy to Saltburn and Marske Urban District Council on the new houses they have made available for workers coming from outside to Tees-side.
§ Mr. H. BrookeThis subsidy is payable only in special circumstances. I agreed that it should be made available to help to provide houses for an essential minimum number of industrial workers coming into Tees-side. These houses are already being provided. At present I see no case for extending the arrangements.
§ Mr. PalmerIs the right hon. Gentleman not aware that the Saltburn and Marske Urban District Council feels that it has made a very real contribution to the industrial housing needs of Teesside and that it is most unfair it should be discriminated against in the circumstances of what is a mere technicality?
§ Mr. BrookeNo discrimination is intended. This subsidy was promised in the first instance by my Department to those housing authorities which had applied for it first, but this is a subsidy related to industrial need. It is not related to the particular circumstances of each separate local authority and, in my view, we have already promised a trade subsidy on a sufficiency of houses to meet the industrial need which was brought to our attention.