§ Sir A. Baillieasked the Minister of Health if his records give the number of dwellings in rural areas in which no water is laid on and the number of dwellings 1931W in urban areas which have no water and no bathrooms, respectively; and whether such reconditioning is part of his postwar housing policy in view of the fact that without proper water supplies it is impossible to eliminate slum conditions.
§ Mr. WillinkI regret that precise information is not available under these various heads, but it is estimated that about 30 per cent. of the population of rural districts live in houses which are not connected to or within easy access of a water main. The improvement of unsatisfactory living conditions in both town and country by all possible means, including, of course, adequate water supplies and the provision of bathrooms, will form a most important part of post-war policy.