§ Mr. Frank Allaunasked the Minister of Housing and Local Government (1) if he is aware that many towns suffering from land shortage depend mainly on slum clearance to provide housing sites, that they have to pay excessive prices for these sites and that these prices will be greatly increased by the raising of compensation for slum clearance in the White Paper "Old Houses Into New Homes"; and if he will consider offering special financial aid to such towns other than by means of cheap loans;
(2) if he is aware that up to £37,000 an acre is being paid for building land in Salford, mainly due to compensation charges for slum clearance; and, as this will be greatly increased by the raising of compensation proposed in the White Paper "Old Houses Into New Homes" he will consider special financial aid, beyond the granting of low interest loans 37W to such cities with no building land in their possession.
§ Mr. MacCollSpecially high costs of acquisition for the redevelopment of slum clearance areas are normally accounted for by the purchase of buildings other than unfit houses. The proposals in the White Paper, which are limited to certain categories of unfit houses, should not impose an unreasonable additional burden upon local authorities. Under the Housing Subsidies Act, 1967 any additional cost will rank for Exchequer assistance when the land is redeveloped for housing purposes.