§ Sir W. de FRECEasked the Minister of Health the number of houses built, at present under construction, or sanctioned under each of the Housing Acts by local authorities and by private enter
378Wvoluntary hospitals, where the medical services are mostly unpaid; and if he can furnish any information as to the measure of increase in the rates likely to follow upon the competition of the municipal hospitals with the voluntary hospitals in the event of no co-operation being achieved between these two classes of hospitals?
Mr. CHAMBERLAINThe general problem alluded to by the hon. Member in the first part of the question has been actively discussed in many quarters for a very considerable time. Definite local arrangements on the new basis cannot be entered into until the Local Government Bill has become law; and it is impossible in the meantime either to accept the assumptions which appear to underlie the remainder of the question or to base any estimates upon them.