Cost of Houses under the Act of 1923.

The monthly average prices of houses included in contracts let by Local Authorities and reported to the Department since the passing of the Act are as follows:

No information is available as to the cost of houses being erected by private enterprise.

SCHEMES UNDER THE HOUSING ACTS, 1919.

Progress. Under the Housing, Town Planning, &c. Act, 1919, the number of houses completed on the 31st March, 1923, by Local Authorities and County Councils was 154,485, and by Public Utility Societies, 4,517. Under the Housing (Additional Powers) Act, 1919, private builders completed 39,181 houses, making a total of 198,183 under the two Acts. In addition, Local Authorities provided 3,056 temporary dwellings by the conversion of huts and hostels.

On the 31st March, 1924, the total number of houses completed was 208,712, made up as follows:

By Local Authorities (excluding County Councils

other than the London County Council) .. 164,437

By County Councils (other than the London

Cost. Owing to the advanced state of the schemes, it has been possible to obtain estimates, based largely on expenditure actually incurred, of the probable final cost of the schemes of Local Authorities, and it is anticipated that the inclusive cost will be £179,400,000. The average cost per house, excluding temporary dwellings and surplus or unused land, according to the estimate is £1,040. The total annual subsidy for the earlier years in respect of these schemes, including schemes of Public Utility Societies, is estimated at about £8,000,000. The amount of the subsidies paid under this head during 1923-24 were as follows:

Rents. The rents vary from 3s. 3d. per week, exclusive of rates, for a four-roomed house in a rural district, to 22s. per week, exclusive of rates, for a six-roomed house in the Metropolitan area. The bulk of the rents range from 6s. to 13s. per week exclusive of rates. The average rent for all types is 8s. 8d. per week (excluding rates, etc.) in England and Wales, excluding the Metropolitan area. If the latter area is included the average rent is 9s. 8d. per week.

During the year it was found impossible to secure agreement with 24 Authorities regarding the rents to be charged, and in these cases the matter was therefore referred to the Tribunal constituted under the Local Authorities (Assisted Housing Schemes) Regulations, which consists of representatives nominated by the Minister and by Associations of Local Authorities. Awards had been issued by the Tribunal up to the end of the year in 102 cases, of which 34 were issued during the year.

Loans. According to the returns rendered by Local Authorities regarding loans raised to meet expenditure in connection with these schemes, the average rate of interest on the capital raised is 6.1 per cent.

PROGRESS SINCE 1919.

Under the Acts of 1919 and 1923, 216,852 houses had been completed with State assistance, this number being made up as follows :

Local Authorities and County Councils..

Public Utility Societies.

Private Enterprise

168,832

5,126

42,894

Total 216,852

The number completed in the year under review was 18,669.

GROWTH OF NORMAL BUILDING.

There has been a considerable amount of house building during the year by private enterprise without financial assistance. A summary of returns received shows that :—

(a) 67,546 new houses were entered on the rate books between the 1st April, 1923, and the 31st March, 1924.

(b) 37,953 were under construction or had been recently completed, but were not occupied, on the 31st March, 1924.

Of the 67,546 houses first entered on the rate books between the 1st April, 1923, and the 31st March, 1924,

49,439 were of rateable value not exceeding £26*.

16,049 were of rateable value exceeding £26 but not exceeding £52†. 2,058 were of rateable value exceeding £52 but not exceeding £781.

* In the Metropolitan Police District not exceeding £35.

† In the Metropolitan Police District exceeding £35 and not exceeding £70. In the Metropolitan Police District exceeding £70 and not exceeding £105.

SMALL DWELLINGS ACQUISITION ACTS, 1899 AND 1923.

The widening of the scope of the Small Dwellings Acquisition Acts by the Housing Acts of 1919 and 1923 has resulted in a very considerable increase in the operations of Local Authorities under those Acts. Between 1899 and 1919 loans totalling £467,313 were sanctioned to 40 Local Authorities; between 1919 and 1923 sanctions amounting to £368,814 were issued to 37 Local Authorities, and during the year under review loans amounting to £1,405,119 were sanctioned to 105 Local Authorities. These figures do not include loans made by the London County Council.

The above loans were sanctioned for prospective advances under the Acts, and only part of the moneys has been actually raised. Since the 1st January, 1919, however, advances have been made for the acquisition of 2,465 existing houses and for the erection of 622 houses.

Advances under Section 5 (1) (a) and Guarantees under Section 5 (1) (b).

Since the passing of the Act of 1923 until the 31st March, 1924, loans amounting to £1,508,950 were sanctioned to 93 Local Authorities, excluding the London County Council, for the purposes of advances under section 5 (1) (a) to builders and others for the erection of houses, and during that period advances had actually been made in respect of 1,111 houses.

The giving of guarantees to building societies under section 5 (1) (b) has been adopted by certain Local Authorities as an alternative to the making of advances under section 5 (1) (a). Up to the 31st March, 40 Local Authorities were undertaking this form of assistance, and guarantees had actually been given in respect of 95 houses.

Advances and Subsidy.

Out of the 1,828 new houses for which advances have been made or guarantees given to building societies, 1,229 are also eligible for financial assistance under section 2 of the Housing, etc. Act, 1923.

ACTION UNDER PARTS I & II OF THE HOUSING OF THE WORKING CLASSES ACT, 1890.

During the year under review reports by Medical Officers of Health were received for the year 1922–23.

In 1,797 districts for which returns were tabulated, 409,111 houses were inspected under the Housing (Inspection of District) Regulations, and the total number of houses inspected, including inspections under the Public Health Acts, was 1,115,394. Defects in 268,571 houses were remedied without the service of formal notices. Notices under section 28 of the Housing, Town Planning, etc. Act, 1919, were served in respect of 30,597 houses, and of these houses 25,108 were rendered fit by their owners, and 853 by the Local Authorities, while in 504 cases the owners gave notice of their intention to close the houses. Notices were served under the Public Health Acts in respect of 265,548 houses; in 246,787 of the houses the defects were remedied by the owners, and in 1,515 by the Local Authorities.

The figures as to Closing and Demolition Orders were as follows:-
Representations made with a view to Closing Orders
Dwelling houses in respect of which Closing Orders were made 2,331
Closing Orders determined after houses were made fit
Dwelling houses in respect of which Demolition Orders were
made

.. 3,155

640

558

Dwelling houses demolished in pursuance of Demolition Orders

734

UNHEALTHY AREAS.

The Act of 1923, in addition to making provision for State assistance towards the expenses of Local Authorities in connection with schemes under Part I and Part II of the Act of 1890, simplified procedure by applying the provisions relating to Part II schemes in both cases.

While an increasing number of Local Authorities are giving attention to the question of slum clearance, the acute shortage of houses and the limited supply of skilled building labour available for the provision of accommodation for rehousing the displaced tenants have a retarding effect on the formulation of improvement and reconstruction schemes.

Notwithstanding these difficulties, however, a considerable amount of work is being done. Between 1919 and the 31st March, 1924, 95 Local Authorities had indicated their intention to proceed, and of these 56 Local Authorities had submitted 66 schemes.

Of these schemes 14, involving the demolition of 1,297 houses and other buildings, had been confirmed on the 31st March, 1923, and 25 schemes, involving the demolition of 3,543 houses and other buildings, were confirmed during the year.

Particulars of schemes confirmed during the year are as follows:

SUPPLY OF LABOUR AND MATERIALS.

Owing mainly to the shortage of skilled labour in the essential building trades, the problem of making up the arrears in house building still remains, and at the end of the year under review the Government had under consideration the formulation of proposals for a more extended housing programme. With a view to inquiring into the resources of the building industry, a Committee was formed representing all sections of the trade, and on the 31st March this Committee were still pursuing their investigations.

Town Planning.

GENERAL POSITION AND PROGRESS.

Extension of Town Planning Activity.-The year under review has witnessed a considerable increase in the number of Local Authorities which have undertaken the preparation of town planning schemes, this increase not being confined, moreover, to Authorities which are under statutory obligation to submit schemes to the Minister prior to 1929. There has also been an appreciable increase in the number of Preliminary Statements of proposals for development, both submitted and approved, with the corresponding issue of Interim Development Orders enabling development to proceed in accordance with a settled and published plan.

Need for more Rapid Progress in Preparation of Schemes.-The progress in the preparation of definite plans has not, however, been as great as might have been expected in the third year after the issue of the revised regulations as to the preparation of schemes. This is no doubt due to the considerations explained in last year's Report, the need for a general survey of local conditions before undertaking the preparation of a plan, and the work of securing co-ordination with the plans of neighbouring Authorities, and often also with Government Departments, as well as to the pre-occupation of Local Authorities with the unemployment problem.

So far as the delay is essential for the production of a satisfactory scheme which will be less liable to the need of future amendment, the time is well spent. The Minister thinks, however, that the time has arrived when a greater measure of progress may reasonably be expected, and he would urge Local Authorities to press on more quickly with the formulation and submission of their proposals.

Obligation to Proceed with Preparation of Scheme when Resolution to Prepare Scheme Passed.-Some Local Authorities which have decided to prepare schemes appear to be under the impression that there is no necessity to submit the schemes before the statutory date above referred to, i.e. the beginning of 1929. Where, however, the Authority have passed a resolution deciding to prepare a scheme, and have thus bound the land, they are under an obligation, under the Town Planning Acts and Regulations, to proceed with the preparation of the scheme without avoidable delay, and the Minister could not concur in the undue postponement of the work.

Record of Schemes.-A statement summarising the present position as regards the preparation and approval of town planning schemes is contained in Appendix III (page 148 below), and Appendices IV to VI (pages 148 to 151 below) contain statements showing the