Mr. THOMASasked the President of the Local Government Board if he will give a list of local authorities where the rate of unemployment is high; whether applications for loans for public works of a useful character have been made to the Board by these authorities; whether these have been authorised, and what steps are being taken by the Department to get these works begun immediately?
§ Major ASTORMy right hon. Friend has received from the Ministry of Labour a list of forty Employment Exchange districts in England and Wales in which unemployment is particularly high. On receipt of this information directions was given for special visits to be paid by the Board's inspectors with a view to the starting of necessary public works which local authorities had in hand, and I will furnish the right hon. Member with information of the works which are contemplated as soon as all the reports are received from the inspectors. I may state that there is a large amount of public work which has already been sanctioned, but which has not yet been started for various reasons, particularly the restrictions on capital expenditure by local authorities which have been imposed during the War. I hope that, now that the financial restrictions have been released, local authorities will undertake a large amount of the public works which are required for their districts. I may add that a direction has been given that loans are for the present to be sanctioned by the Local Government Board only on condition that the work is started immediately.