§ Brigadier-General SURTEESasked the Minister of Health if his attention has been called to the fact that the principal difficulty of the smaller and poorer boroughs to adopt and vigorously promote housing schemes is a financial one; and whether he will consider the advisability of materially helping them by a grant in aid proportionate to the number of houses erected in a given time or a considerable extension of the period allowed for the repayment of building loans?
§ Dr. ADDISONI do not understand what are the difficulties to which the hon. and gallant Member refers. All local authorities are entitled to the Exchequer subsidy provided by Section 7 of the Housing, Town Planning, etc., Act, 1919. Until the building has been completed the subsidy will be the actual deficit incurred in excess of the proceeds of a penny rate. After the building has been completed it will be based on the estimated annual deficit in excess of the penny rate and will be revised from time to time during the' period allowed for repayment of the loans raised for purchase of land and cost of building.