§ Mr. GARDNERasked the Minister of Health the approximate number of houses for the working classes in the urban district of Wokingham, and in each of the parishes in the rural districts of Cookham, Easthampstead, Windsor, and Wokingham, in East Berkshire, and in the rural district of Bradfield; how many of those houses were, on 30th November, 1927, actually unfit for habitation; how many were, although not actually unfit, not in all respects reasonably fit for habitation; how many houses for the working classes were rendered fit for habitation in each of the years 1924, 1925, 1926 and 1927 (11 months); how many inspections under Section 8 of the Housing Act, 1925, or the corresponding enactment repealed by that Act, there were in each of those years; how many of those inspections were re-inspections; and what number of houses is now required, in the opinion of the medical officer of health, in that urban district and in each of those parishes in order to provide proper and adequate housing accommodation for persons of the working classes?
Mr. CHAMBERLAINThe following statement gives as complete information as is available on the questions asked by the hon. Member: 581W
582W583W
Name of District. Number of structurally separate dwellings occupied by private families or vacant. (Census 1921.) Approximate number of working-class houses built since 1st January, 1919, to date. Number of dwelling-houses reported during the year 1926 as— Number of dwelling houses rendered fit during each of the years— Number of houses inspected— (1)Under the public Health Acts and the Housing Act, 1925, or Housing Regulations. (2) Insepected and recorded under the Housing Act, 1925, or Housing Regulations (included under(1)). Total. Containing 1 to 5 rooms. Unit for habitation. Not in all respects reasonably fit for habitation. 1924. 1925. 1926. 1924. 1925. 1926. Wokingham Borough 1,110 728 100 — 48 20 63 44 (1) 48 72 98 (2) 4 3 7 Cookham Rural District 3,313 2,047 600 — 42 28 48 39 (1) 120 290 152 (2) 120 43 — Easthampstead Rural District. 3,566 2,369 430 — — 30 20 25 (1) 107 58 127 (2) 11 8 60 Windsor Rural District 1,982 1,382 90 1 97 287 179 87 (1) 293 229 218 (2) 171 136 207 Wokingham Rural District 4,317 2,647 1,200 6 123 139 144 130 (1) 201 214 194 (2) 145 133 143 Bradfield Rural District 3,454 2,327 300 15 4 25 42 49 (1) 26 128 19 (2) 26 128 19 I am unable to supply separate particulars for individual parishes, and information as to action taken during the year 1927 is not yet available, as the annual reports of the medical officers of health, from which the above particulars are obtained, are not yet available for 1927.
The available statistics do not distinguish re-inspections, and I have no information as to the number of houses which, in the opinion of the medical officers of health are required in each parish.