§ Mr. Swinglerasked the Minister of Health whether he is now in a position to make a statement on the erection of houses under licence.
§ Mr. BevanYes. The issue of further licences has been suspended for the time 123W being pending further directions as to the restricted volume of private house building licences which could be authorised under present circumstances. I have now decided that local authorities will be given a discretion to resume the issue of licences and to issue 'them up to a maximum of one-tenth of the further allocation of houses made to them by the principal regional officers of my Department. The new arrangements will operate as from 1st February, 1950. The principal regional officer will communicate with each local authority who should await this communication from him. The Government will permit the erection of houses for letting for purposes approved by the local authority and at rents approved by them. Special consideration will, therefore, be given by my principal regional officers to any applications made to them by a local authority for approval, within the limits of their allocation, to exceed the proportion of houses which can be authorised to be built under licence.