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C4 TABLE A'.
HOUSING (FINANCIAL AND MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS) BILL—
FEBRUARY, 1946.
Extract From "The Times" 6th February, 1946.
New and increased rates of Exchequer subsidies for houses built by local authorities in England and Wales were made known yesterday with the publication of the Housing (Financial and Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill, which Mr. Aneurin Bevan presented to Parliament on Monday. Proposals for increasing subsidies for Scottish housing are con- tained in the Housing (Financial Provisions) (Scotland) Bill, which also appeared yesterday.
The Bill dealing with England and Wales also provides for subsidies for flats, where sites cost above a certain amount, and for assistance to local authorities in the provision of prefabricated houses. The subsidies will apply to all houses completed by June 30, 1947, at which date revised and possibly lower rates will come into operation based upon a review of building costs beginning in December this year. The subsidies will also apply to all houses approved under the post-war programme since August 3, 1944.
The Bill extends the period for house building subsidies to 60 years. The statutory period since 1924 has been 40 years. Another change is that the Exchequer will in future contribute three times as much as the rates instead of twice as much, which is normal under present Acts.
The Bill further provides that the Minister of Health may set up housing associations to enable him to come to the aid of local authorities if the need arises. These associations will have power to construct houses and to provide houses which they will themselves own and manage.
аге:-
Proposed Yearly Amounts.
For England and Wales the proposed new annual subsidies and rate contributions
General Standard Subsidy.-Exchequer, £16.10s; rates, £5.10s. Agricultural Dwellings.-Exchequer, £25.10s; rates, £3 (shared equally
between the local authority and the county council).
Poor Areas. The same subsidy as for houses for agricultural workers will be paid for all houses built in areas with a population of low rent paying capacity, and where housing puts an undue burden on the rates.
The following special subsidies are also proposed:-
Flats. For blocks of flats on sites where the cost of land, as developed, exceeds £1,500 an acre, the annual Exchequer and rate contributions will be determined by a graduated scale, in which the minimum will be £28.10s from the Exchequer for each flat and £2.10s. from the local authority, both for 60 years. Where lifts are provided in blocks of flats of at least four storeys the Exchequer may pay an additional £7 a year and the local authority £3.10. Subsidies at the same rates as for flats will be paid for houses built on expensive sites as part of a scheme of mixed development of houses and flats.
Highly Rated Areas. Additional Exchequer assistance will be provided in highly rated areas where the rate charge for housing is at least twice the average for that class of authority. The Exchequer's normal contribution will be increased, and the local authority's contribution correspondingly decreased, by an amount not more than one half the rate contribution.
Mining Subsidies. If the cost of a house is substantially increased by pro- tective measures against mining subsidence, additional subsidy may be given up to £2 a year for 60 years, plus a rate contribution of one half of the Exchequer grant.
Prefabricated Houses,--Where a local authority, using non-traditional methods approved by the Minister of Health, finds the cost substantially greater than for traditional construction, Exchequer grants may be made for meeting the excess.
Annual Charge.
The number of new houses and flats which will qualify for the subsidies is not known, but an estimate of the annual charge to the Exchequer on 100,000 dwellings is £2,050,000, and of the annual charge on the rates £615,000 (equal to about a halfpenny rate). The estimated annual cost of the capital grant for prefabricated houses, on an average of £200 a house, is £10,000,000.
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