§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what action he proposes to take in view of the fact that despite a massive post-war housing drive and despite its recently developed housing improvement programme the London borough of Newham still has a grave housing programme and that of the 80,000 houses in Newham, 40,000 lack one or other of the basic amenities, nearly 20 per cent. have no hot water, 25 per cent. have no bath and a third have outside toilets; and whether he can give an assurance that no Government cuts in expenditure announced or envisaged will adversely affect the council's efforts to overcome these housing problems.
§ Mr. ArmstrongThe priority which we are giving to areas with special problems of housing stress, including the London borough of Newham, in making public expenditure allocations for 1977–78, should enable these areas to continue to make substantial progress towards meeting their housing needs.
§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether, in view of the fact that the public health department of the London borough of Newham receives up to 1,500 complaints a year on matters connected with unsanitary houses and properties in contravention of the Housing Acts, that it has up to 400 cases upon its books at any one time and that its public health inspector 144W staff is totally inadequate to deal with the problems, he will make some financial grants available to assist the council to overcome these problems.
§ Mr. ArmstrongLocal authority expenditure on environmental health services is already included in relevant expenditure for rate support grant purposes. It is for Newham Council to decide how best to allocate the resources available to it.