§ Mr. Byersasked the Minister of Health if he will consider paying the special subsidy of £25 for all houses erected in rural districts if the rate to be charged for the houses is in excess of an average rate for working-class dwellings in the district of 6s., the general rate exceeds 17s. 6d. and the amount borne by the rural district council exceeds 6d. in respect of all statutory contributions from the general rate to the Housing Revenue Account.
§ Mr. BevanThe conditions governing grant of the subsidy in question for houses not intended for agricultural workers are laid down in Section 3 of the Housing (Financial and Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 1946. It is not clear from the case stated by the hon. Member whether these conditions are fulfilled. The test so far as rents are concerned is not the figure proposed for the new houses, but the relation between the average rent in the district and the average in rural districts generally.