81. Mr. Slaterasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies, in view of the unsatisfactory conditions of housing prevailing in many parts of British Guiana, what plans the British Guiana Government have to overcome them; how much the British Guiana Government have spent on housing each year since 1954; and how much is allocated for 1959.
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydProvision is included in the 1956–60 Development Programme for building 4,500 houses for poorer people. The British Guiana Government are also currently pursuing possibilities of interesting private building firms in the construction of low-cost houses for sale.
The British Guiana Credit Corporation, which was set up in 1954 with funds provided by the British Guiana Government, made over 7,000 housing loans totalling £1,513,000 in the period up to 30th September, 1957.
The amounts spent by the British Guiana Government under their Development Programmes on housing from 1954 to 31st March, 1958—the latest date for which firm figures are available—are as follows:
£ 1954 162,000 1955 518,000 1956 972,000 1957 1,116,000 1958 (to 31st March) 200,000 There is at present no provision for Government expenditure on housing in 1959.