§ Mr. LAWSONasked the Minister of Health whether he has yet received from the Cowes urban district council any scheme under Part II of the Housing Act, 1925, in respect of a part of their district; what steps the district council are taking in respect of houses complained of in another part of their district; and whether, seeing that it is now more than 15 months since the attention of the Department was informally drawn, and about 12 months since their attention was formally drawn, to the condition of the housing of the working classes in Cowes, that the state of things is still substantially the same as 15 months ago, and that during the last 12 months the two complainant Justices have repeatedly protested against the neglect and inaction of the Department, he will say what steps he now proposes to take in the matter?
Mr. CHAMBERLAINAs indicated in the reply given to the hon. Member on the 8th of June, the matter in question is at present under the consideration of the local authority. The scheme has not yet been submitted to me, but I am making inquiries as to the position, and will communicate further with the hon. Member.
§ Mr. LAWSONasked the Minister of Health if he will state how many houses for the working classes in each of the parishes in the rural district of the Isle of Wight were on 30th June of this year not in all respects reasonably fit for human habitation; how many of these houses were in a state so injurious or dangerous to health as to be unfit for habitation; how many closing orders and repairing notices were issued by the rural district council of the Isle of Wight during the months of May and June this year; how many of those orders and notices have not been complied with; whether repairing notices not being complied with are being enforced; what inspections and re-inspections, respectively, have been made during those two months in that district under Section 8 of the Housing Act, 1925; and what progress 1898W has been made in that rural district with the provision of houses under the Housing (Financial Provisions) Act, 1924?
Mr. CHAMBERLAINI have asked the local authority to furnish as far as possible the information which the hon. Member desires, and I will communicate with him. As regards the latter part of the question, the local authority have arranged for the purchase of sites in three parishes and have entered into a contract for the erection of six houses in one of the parishes.