Mr. LLEWELYN WILLIAMSasked the President of the Local Government Board what inquiries he has made, and what information he has obtained, as to the housing conditions at Llanelly; whether the provision of additional workmen's dwellings in the district is necessitated by the prosperity of the tinplate trade, and to the influx of a large number of navvies and other casual labourers who are engaged in building new works, tramways, and waterworks; whether more workmen own their own houses in Llanelly than in any town in the kingdom in proportion to the population; whether the workmen who are in receipt of good wages are reluctant to share their homes with strangers of the casual class; whether he is aware that Miss Stepney, the chief landowner in the town, and her father, the late Sir Arthur Stepney, did all that they could to cooperate with the local authority to settle the housing problem in the town; whether Mr. Thomas Jones, the agent for the Stepney estate, is the chairman of the Llanelly District. Council's housing committee, and is not doing everything in his power to assist in providing workmen's dwellings; and what powers, if any, has he to compel either the local authority or the large firms which are extending their works to make proper provision for the housing of the workmen in the town?
§ Mr BURNSI have made inquiries, and am informed that the tinplate trade at Llanelly is very prosperous; that the population of the district has increased about 25 per cent. since 1901, and that the number of houses has increased in like proportion; that at the present time 133 houses are in course of erection, plans for 101 houses having been passed by the local authority since 1st January, 1911; that practically all these houses are for the accommodation of the working classes; that about 6 per cent. of the workmen's houses are occupied by their owners; that1000W there is a temporary influx of navvy and casual labour in connection with the construction of tramway and water works and of new tinplate works; that there may be some unwillingness on the part of many of the resident workmen to take in casual labourers as lodgers; that the existing common lodging-houses are insufficient to deal with the influx of casual labour, and that at least three other houses of this description are in course of construction. I have seen a statement by Miss Stepney, from which it appears that there has been every disposition to assist in the development of her estate for building and in the provision of workmen's dwellings, and I am informed by the clerk of the local authority that not only Miss Stepney, but the other principal landowners are ready to grant leases of land at reasonable rentals. I have before me official information showing the intention of the local authority themselves to provide further houses for the working-classes under the Housing of the Working-Classes Act, and a first instalment of the scheme is about to be submitted to me. I understand that Mr. Thomas Jones, the Chairman of the Housing Committee, has given much time and labour to further the proposals. I have no general authority to compel local authorities, companies, or persons engaged in the construction of works to provide temporary housing accommodation for the labourers employed in their construction.