HC Deb 22 April 1943 vol 388 cc1855-6W
Mr. Bull

asked the Minister of Health whether his attention has been called to the difficulties being experienced in places such as Enfield by people who wish to rent small houses; whether he is aware that there are cases of Service men being discharged from the Forces as medically unfit and finding it impossible to get accommodation for themselves and their families; and what steps he is taking to remedy this state of affairs?

Mr. E. Brown

Yes, Sir. The key to the problem is the building of new houses and it is because of this that I have asked local authorities to begin now the preliminary work of buying housing sites, surveying them and drawing up plans, so that they may be able to make a start with building immediately labour and materials can be made available for this vital work. In the meantime schemes have been begun for the building of 3,000 cottages for agricultural workers and for the further repair of seriously damaged houses, which are mainly in urban areas, in order that they may be brought back into use.