View report page

178
those mentioned above, the total number of personal certificates issued since the
inception of the scheme up to 31st December, 1928, being 2,001.
Legislation.
A question having arisen with regard to the basis of computation of State grant
towards the cost of improvement or reconstruction schemes carried out by either
the Council or a metropolitan borough council at the joint expense of both, the
Council on 26th June, 1928, decided to promote legislation in the session of Parliament
of 1929 to provide that any payment or contribution by any metropolitan
borough council towards the expenses incurred by the Council, or any payment or
contribution by the Council towards the expenses incurred by any metropolitan
borough council, in carrying into effect any such scheme shall be disregarded for the
purpose of ascertaining the amount of any State grant in respect of such scheme.
The object of this legislation is to make it quite clear that the Minister of Health is
empowered to make a State contribution in respect of any scheme up to one-half
of the estimated combined loss to be incurred by the two authorities and not limited
to one-half of the loss to be incurred by the authority actually carrying out the
scheme.
Houses, etc.,
completed.
Since the war, the Council has, up to 31st December, 1928, completed 34,005
houses and flats. The houses and flats completed during the year 1928 totalled
9,920. Altogether since the completion of the first dwellings in 1894, the Council has
provided 43,990 tenements and houses and three lodging-houses with 1,880 cubicles,
The total estimated population of the Council's dwellings on 31st December, 1928,
was nearly 200,000 persons. These figures cover the whole of the Council's
housing operations for the periods mentioned, including rehousing in connection with
schemes for the clearance of unhealthy areas and other public improvements.
The programme of work in hand is very considerable, comprising the erection
of about 13,500 additional houses under Part III. of the Housing Act, 1925, apart
from the rehousing required under slum clearance schemes.
Clearance
schemes.
As already indicated, the Minister of Health is empowered to make State contributions
towards the expenses incurred by local authorities in carrying out improvement
or reconstruction schemes under Part II. of the Housing Act, 1925, such contributions
being limited to one-half of the estimated average annual loss to be incurred
by the local authority in carrying out the scheme. A comprehensive programme of
slum clearance is being carried out by the Council with the aid of State contributions
on this basis. The schemes now in operation or about to be commenced are 13
in number and include 23 separate areas comprising 99.47 acres. The displacement
of 28,513 persons of the working classes is involved and rehousing accommodation
for about an equivalent number has to be provided, of whom not fewer than 19,870
have to be accommodated within the limits of the improvement areas.
Housing
policy.
The year witnessed the inception of a new and important phase of the Council s
housing policy. Immediately after the war the Council was compelled, owing to
the acute housing shortage, largely to devote its energies to the provision of the
greatest practicable number of houses in the shortest possible time by the readiest
means available, that is to say, by the development of large cottage estates in the
suburban districts. Now that so much has been done in this direction the Council
has felt that the time has arrived when special attention should be paid to the needs
of those workers in London who require to reside near their places of employment.
A proposal to provide under Part III. of the Housing Act, 1925, new block dwellings
in or near the central areas of London, quite distinct from rehousing operations,
was agreed in principle by the Council on 24th July, 1928, and the Council on 22nd
January, 1929, approved a capital estimate of £250,000 for the acquisition of the
first instalment of sites for the purpose. These new dwellings will be of a type
superior to those provided by the Council for rehousing purposes. Before the close
of the year several sites had been provisionally selected and others were under
consideration.