§ Sir H. Williamsasked the Minister of Health whether he can state approximately the percentage of houses in England and Wales which have been built since the armistice?
§ Miss HorsbrughThe percentage of existing houses built since 1919 is approximately thirty-five.
§ Mr. R. Morganasked the Minister of Health whether, in view of the acute housing difficulties in various parts of the country owing to the war and war industrial activity, he will suggest to local authorities the desirability of temporarily slowing down slum-clearance demolition; the more so as intensified building effort in this direction after the war will provide much employment?
§ Mr. ElliotI am sending my hon. Friend a copy of the circular dealing with the postponement of work under the Housing Acts which I sent to local authorities on 8th September. In that circular I asked them, for the present, not to take further steps in connection with slum clearance orders which had not reached the stage of local inquiry and stated that where the inquiry had not been held I proposed to postpone my decision. In the case of confirmed orders I asked the authorities to stop short of the actual demolition of the houses.