§ 29. Mr. Mappasked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs what practical assistance he will make available to areas with heavy house clearance schemes to offset the shortage of professional staff.
§ The Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs (Sir Keith Joseph)My technical officers are already giving help and advice to local authorities with big slum clearance problems. That is one of the main functions of my new Northern Housing Office in Manchester. I am opening a similar office in Newcastle in the autumn.
§ Mr. MappIs the Minister aware that Oldham has been obtaining practical architectural advice from as far a field as London, and as this advice is bound to be both costly and remote, would he not now consider having a pool of architectural staff in his Manchester office which could be loaned to authorities with backlogs?
§ Sir K. JosephI congratulate the hon. Gentleman's constituency upon its speed and the efforts which it is successfully making to get the necessary staff by consultation or otherwise. I am sure that it is better for consultants to be employed by the executive authority rather than indirectly by the regulatory authority, which I happen to be.