§ Dr. WORSFOLDasked the Minister of Health whether he is aware that there are 1668W recognised technical journals in existence of long standing and reputation, such as the "Architect," the "Builder," and others, that deal with all points raised in his Departmental weekly journal called "Housing," and reach a far larger circle of readers, and whether, for the sake of Governmental economy, he will withdraw the publication of "Housing" accordingly as a subsidised, expensive, and unnecessary rival to the building trade journals that have been always willing to support all reasonable Government housing schemes to the fullest extent and to afford information in every detail required by those interested in the building trade?
§ Dr. ADDISONI am, of course, aware of the value of the technical journals to which the hon. Member refers, and I have made it quite clear in the first number of "Housing," that it is not intended to compete with these journals. The object of "Housing" is to provide a regular means of direct communication between the Department and local authorities and the Ministry's staff up and down the country on the many points which constantly arise in the administration of the Government housing programme, and I am satisfied that this function could not be so efficiently discharged in any other way. As the hon. Member knows, the expenditure on the housing programme will unavoidably be large. There will be much room for effecting economies by the widest dissemination of information and of the experience of the Ministry and of particular local authorities, and I regard the issue of a journal as an essential part of the organisation.