§ Lord H. CAVENDISH-BENTINCKasked the President of the Local Government Board whether he will give the names of the rural districts in which, as the result of formal complaints under Section 10 of The Housing, Town Planning, etc., Act, 1909, or of inspections by the Board's officers the councils had, prior to the 1st January last, been urged by the Board to build houses under Part III. of the Housing of the Working Classes Act, 1890, and have not yet agreed to do so; and whether, as regards cases of formal complaints, a mandamus has been applied for in any instance; and, if so, with what result?
§ Mr. HERBERT SAMUELThe names of the rural districts are: Brackley, Bridport, Buckingham, Chesterfield, Chipping Sod-bury, Dwyran, Guildford, Halstead, Hols-worthy, Mitford, and Launditch, Reigate, St. Dogmells, Shipston-on-Stour, Thingoe, and Wimborne and Cranborne. These are exclusive of the rural districts of Belvoir, Crick, Dulverton, Dunmow, East Dean and United Parishes, East Preston,
142WGreat Ouseburn, Hartley Wintney, Haverfordwest, Newbury, Wallingford, Wisbech, and Wrexham, in which cases the district councils, although they have not actually agreed to build, have stated that they are negotiating for or endeavouring to obtain sites, or that they are proceeding with the preparation of schemes. There are other cases in which local authorities have
not agreed to build to the extent urged by the Board, but have agreed to build a certain number of houses. Wrexham is the only case in which the Board prior to 1st January, 1914, and as a result of a formal complaint under Section 10 of the Housing, Town Planning, etc., Act, 1909, urged the local authority to build, and in which action or a promise of action has not been secured. It has not yet been thought necessary to make an order in that case declaring the district council to be in default in the matter. In the Reigate and Buckingham cases above mentioned, the councils were urged to build as the result of inspections, but formal complaints under Section 10 have been since received, and since 1st January, 1914, the local authorities have been again urged to build. The only case in which a default order has been issued is that of the Gwyrfai rural district (parish of Llanddeniolen), and I understand that the council of this district have recently resolved to purchase land and proceed with the preparation of a scheme. I trust, therefore, that no question of an application for a writ of mandamus will arise in that case.