§ Mr. CASSELasked the President of the Local Government Board (1) if he can state to which of the officers of the Board the duty is entrusted of reviewing the reports of the inspectors appointed by the Board to hold local inquiries in regard to appeals against closing and demolition orders under the Housing, Town Planning, etc., Act, 1909; whether the duty is exercised subject to any defined rules or regulations; if so, whether these can be perused by anyone interested; (2) whether, in view of the fact that an owner against whom a closing or demolition order is made under the Housing, Town Planning, etc., Act, 1909, has on the facts no right of appeal to a court of law, he will consider the expediency of altering the procedures so as to secure to an appellant the right to appear before the authority by whom the inspectors' reports are reviewed; and (3) whether, in addition to the communications previously received from other local authorities, he has received a communica- 1001W tion from the St. Pancras Borough Council expressing dissatisfaction with the present appeal against closing and demolition orders, and asking him to take steps for the promotion of legislation to effect the amendment of the law in the direction of the substitution of a judicial tribunal for the Local Government Board as the appeal tribunal; and what steps he proposes to take?
§ Mr. BURNSI will reply to this and the two following questions together. The hon. Member has been informed, in reply to previous questions on this subject, that the appeal is made to the Board, and the Board decide it after carefully considering the whole of the facts. In many instances the cases have been referred to myself or to the Parliamentary Secretary of the Board for final decision. The duty of deciding the appeals is exercised subject to the provisions of the Housing Acts, and the procedure generally is in accord with that which has been in operation for at least thirty years in connection with appeals under Section 268 of the Public Health Act, 1875. I see no reason to alter it. I have received a communication from the St. Pancras Borough Council. I do not propose to take any steps in the direction indicated.