§ Mr. HURDasked the Minister of Health how many rural district councils have been appointed the authorities to work the Housing (Rural Workers) Act out of the 220 councils which applied to be so appointed; and on what grounds have applications from these councils been granted and refused, respectively?
Mr. CHAMBERLAINThe great majority of these applications are under consideration by the appropriate county councils with whom I have been consulting, as prescribed by the Act. Applications have been rejected in 49 cases where the county council have made, or are making, a scheme which will cover the whole of the administrative county. Approval is being given in 22 cases where the county council are not themselves at present proposing to carry out a scheme, and are of opinion that the work may properly be entrusted to the district councils concerned.