§ Mr. FINNEYasked the Minister of Health whether, seeing that the Regulations made by the Ministry of Health, with the approval of the Treasury, provide that financial assistance shall be extended to housing schemes if reasonable progress is made within 12 months of the passing of the Housing, Town Planning, etc., Act, 1919, and the scheme is carried out within three years or such later date as the Ministry may approve, and that the period of three years expires on the 31st July instant, he has considered or will consider the question of extending the time beyond the end of this month; whether he has received requests from local authorities concerned, and in particular from the county borough of Stoke-on-Trent, for an extension of the time, including financial assistance, to enable them to complete their housing schemes; and whether he can indicate his intentions respecting the same?
§ Sir A. MONDI have on numerous occasions given the quite definite assurance that where work is undertaken by local authorities in England and Wales with the approval of my Department and, for reasons outside the control of the authority, the work cannot be completed within the period fixed by the original Regulations, the time for com- 869W pletion will be extended as may be necessary. A request has been received from the local authority referred to, and they are being given the above assurance.