§ Mr. LEACHasked the President of the Board of Agriculture when he expects the next and final stages of the Government Housing Bill to be taken in this House; and if he intends that cottages shall immediately thereafter be erected for married soldiers and other Government workers for whom no cottages are now available in the districts in which their work lies?
§ Mr. RUNCIMANThe Bill will be considered in Committee to-morrow, but I cannot say when the remaining stages will be taken. After the Bill has passed into law, there will be no avoidable delay in bringing its provisions into operation wherever cottages are required for the housing of Government employés.
§ Mr. WINGasked the President of the Board of Agriculture if loans to utility societies and local authorities under the new Housing Bill will apply to mining centres such as the county of Durham?
§ Mr. RUNCIMANThe provisions of the Bill apply only to the housing of persons belonging to the working class in agricultural districts and of persons employed by or on behalf of Government Departments. The advantageous terms on which local authorities can already obtain loans for housing purposes will not be altered in any way.