Mr. Guestasked the Minister of Health whether his attention has been called to the increasing tendency on the part of local authorities to condemn rural cottages without providing adequate opportunity for their repair and to replace them with cottages letting at rents beyond the means of agricultural workers; and whether he will review the present procedure with a view to its amendment at the earliest opportunity?
§ Sir K. WoodA local authority who propose to order the demolition of a house as unfit for human habitation are required by statute to afford the owner an opportunity of putting forward his proposals for rendering the house fit, and if these proposals are not accepted the owner has a right of appeal to the county court. I am not aware of any failure on the part of local authorities to afford this opportunity. As regards the latter part of the question, I would refer my hon. Friend to the answer which I gave on 28th October to my hon. Friends the Members for St. Albans (Sir F. Fremantle) and Evesham (Mr. De la Bère).