The Housing of the Sub-section (1) of section thir

THE HOUSING (FINANCIAL PROVISIONS)

ACT, 1924.

(14 & 15 GEO. V.

CH. 35.)

(So far as unrepealed.)

1. Extension of 13 & 14 Geo. V., c. 24, to houses completed before 1st October, 1939.—(1) Subject to the provisions of this Act, sections one and three of the Housing, &c., Act, 1923 (which relate to contributions by the Board to the expenses of local authorities in assisting the construction of houses and to the expenses of public utility societies and other bodies in building houses), shall extend to houses which are provided in pursuance of proposals approved by the Board and are completed before the first day of October, nineteen hundred and thirty-nine, and so much of that Act as limits the operation of those sections to houses completed before the first day of October, nineteen hundred and twenty-five, or the first day of June, nineteen hundred and twenty-six, shall cease to have effect.

(2) The following paragraph shall be substituted for paragraph (b) of sub-section (1) of section one of the Housing, &c., Act, 1923:

66

(b) towards

66

any expenses incurred by the local authority in the provision of such houses by the "local authority themselves."

Where a local authority purchase any such houses as are referred to in the said paragraph for the purposes of Part III. of the Housing of the Working Classes Act, 1890, the houses shall not be treated as houses provided by the local authority themselves within the meaning of the said Act of 1923 or this Act if the houses are houses which have been completed before the passing of this Act or have been occupied prior to the purchase.

References to the Minister of Health (except in secs. 4, 5, and 6) are in Scotland to be construed as references to the Scottish Board of Health; see sec. 16 (1), post, p. 207.

The date of completion of houses eligible for subsidy, which under the provisions of the 1923 Act was 1st October, 1925, or 1st June, 1926, is extended to 1st October, 1939.

Under the provisions of the Housing, &c., Act, 1923 (see notes to sec. 1 of that Act, p. 182, ante), before the local authority could erect houses themselves they had to satisfy the Scottish Board of Health that the needs of their area could be

more appropriately met in this manner. Under the paragraph substituted by sub-sec. (2), for paragraph (b) of sub-sec. (1) of sec. 1 of the 1923 Act, this requirement is departed from. The local authority are entitled to State contribution towards any expenses incurred by them in the provision of such houses by themselves. Where, however, a local authority purchases any such houses for the purpose of the housing of the working classes, the houses are not to be eligible for the subsidy if completed before the passing of the 1924 Act or occupied prior to the purchase.

As to the general scope of this Act, see Appendix I., pp. 243 et seq.

2. Increased Government contributions in case of houses which are subject to special conditions.-(1) Where, in pursuance of proposals approved by the Board after the passing of this Act, any houses are provided by a local authority themselves or by a society, body of trustees, or company within the meaning of section three of the said Act, or expenses are incurred by a local authority in promoting the construction of any houses in accordance with section two of the said Act as amended by this Act, then, if the houses are subject to special conditions as hereinafter provided in this Act, the contribution which the Board may make or undertake to make in respect of each such house, instead of being a contribution of six pounds payable annually for a period of twenty years

(a) shall be a contribution of nine pounds or, if the house is situated in an agricultural parish, twelve pounds ten shillings; and

(b) shall be payable annually for a period of forty years; and the said Act shall have effect accordingly :

Provided that, where the contributions are made towards expenses incurred by a local authority in promoting the construction of houses in accordance with section two of the said Act as amended by this Act, the said Act in its application to any of those houses shall have effect with the following modifications, namely:

(i) In the provision in sub-section (i) of section one which

requires that a contribution shall be reduced in certain contingencies, nine pounds, or in the case of a house situated in an agricultural parish twelve pounds ten shillings, shall be substituted for six pounds, and forty years shall be substituted for twenty years;

(ii) Paragraph (a) of sub-section (3) of section two shall not apply, and the following paragraph shall be substituted for paragraph (b) of the said sub-section:

66

as

"(b) Undertake to pay such annual sum may be specified in the proposals for a period not exceeding forty years to the person for the time being in receipt of

66

66

66

the rent payable by a tenant to whom "the house is let, or, in the case of a

house not so let, to the person by whom

"the rates on the house are payable."

Provided also that in any case where proposals are submitted to the Board which, in consequence of the adoption of new materials or new methods of construction, involve a reduction in the estimated annual expenses to be incurred in connection with each house substantially greater than the equivalent of four pounds ten shillings per annum for forty years, the Board may reduce the contribution by such amount as they shall think just and reasonable, but so nevertheless that the contribution shall not be reduced to such an extent as to leave any part of such estimated annual expenses to be borne by the local rate or by the said society, body of trustees, or company, as the case may be.

(2) and (3) For sub-sections applicable to Scotland see section 16 (2), post.

(4) Houses provided in pursuance of proposals approved by the Board before the passing of this Act, if the contract for the construction of the houses was entered into or, in the case of houses constructed otherwise than under contract, the construction was begun after the first day of February, nineteen hundred and twenty-four, may, for the purposes of this section, if the Board so directs, be treated as if the approval had been given after the passing of this Act, notwithstanding

that the houses do not comply in every respect with the conditions imposed by or under this Act.

(5) (Not applicable to Scotland.)

House situated in an agricultural parish.-For agricultural parish read in the case of Scotland rural area; see sec. 16 (2), post, p. 207.

The State contribution is increased from £6 to £9 per house, or, if the house is situated in a rural area, to £12 10s. per house, and is payable annually for a period of forty years instead of twenty years as under the 1923 Act if the houses are subject to the special conditions referred to in sec. 3, infra.

Where a local authority are promoting the construction of houses by private enterprise and the special conditions are complied with, the increased subsidy may be obtained if the local authority's expenses are not less than the value of the £9 and £12 10s., as the case may be, per house per annum for forty years. The local authority cannot, however, under the subsidy payable under the 1924 Act, make a lump sum payment to private enterprise-it must be by way of an annual payment. The annual payment must be made to the person in receipt of the rent of the house, if let, or, if not let, to the person by whom the rates are payable.

Where by the adoption of new materials or new methods of construction the estimated annual expenses in connection with each house are reduced by a greater amount than the equivalent of £4 10s. per annum for forty years, the State contribution may be reduced by such amount as the Board think just and reasonable, provided the reduction is not so great as to leave any part of the annual expenses to be borne by the local rate or by any society, body of trustees, or company, as the case may be.

Houses provided in pursuance of proposals approved by the Board before the passing of the 1924 Act, although they do not fully comply with the conditions laid down in the Act, may, where the Board so direct, be treated as if approval had been granted after the passing of the Act, provided the contract for their construction was entered into, or, in the case of houses constructed otherwise than under contract, their construction was begun, after the 1st February, 1924.

See Appendix I., p. 247, post.

3. Special conditions.—(1) Houses provided by a local authority themselves shall be deemed to be subject to special conditions if the local authority undertake, in accordance with rules made by the Board and approved by the Treasury, that the following conditions will be complied with in relation to the houses:

(a) that, subject to the following conditions, the houses