Mr. De la Bèreasked the Minister of Health whether, in view of the small response to the circular on poultry- 414W keeping sent out by the Ministry to local authorities asking them to modify their rules in order, to further facilitate the keeping of poultry on their estates, he will now send an official from the Ministry with a view to persuading, wherever possible, those councils who will only consider individual applicants or allow poultry-keeping on allotments to give a more general consent to this practice?
§ Mr. ElliotThe question of permission to keep poultry on a municipal housing estate is a matter for decision by the local authority, in whom the responsibility for the management of their housing estates is expressly vested by Statute. My hon. Friend will appreciate, therefore, that I have no jurisdiction to intervene, and I doubt whether the course suggested would be justified, especially in view of the great pressure upon my staff at the present time.