§ Mr. DAYasked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury the amount of money that has been loaned by the Public Works Loan Board to the smaller local authorities for the purpose of the various Housing Acts since 1st April, 1920?
Mr. SAMUELThe loans advanced since 1st April, 1920, by the Public Works Loan Board to local authorities under the Housing Acts amount to £172,275,000 and under the Small Dwellings (Acquisition) Acts to £27,498,000. It is not possible without considerable labour to classify these loans according to the rateable values of the local authorities concerned, but by far the greater part of the loans—probably over 90 per cent.—was granted to authorities with a rateable value of less than £200,000 in England and Wales, or £250,000 in Scotland.