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8. After Schedule X. the following Schedules shall be inserted :—

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Publication of list of objections to claim- 4th September 23rd August 4th September

ants (as soon as practicable after).

Register comes into force

15th October 15th October 15th October

PART II.

21st August

16th August

25th August

24th August

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CIRCULAR OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT BOARD.

Local Government Board,

Whitehall, S.W.1,

11th June, 1919.

1. Delegation of work to Committee.

Sir, I am directed by the President of the Local Government Board to state that he is very anxious that every step should be taken to avoid any unnecessary delay in proceeding with housing schemes undertaken by Local Authorities, and that Local Authorities should at each stage endeavour to expedite procedure in dealing with these schemes. In this connection Dr. Addison desires to draw the special attention of the Local Authority to the importance of appointing a Housing Committee and of delegating to this Committee as much as possible of the work in connection with their Housing Schemes.

If effective action is to be taken much time will have to be devoted by Members of the responsible authorities to supervising the preparation and execution of schemes, and important decisions will have to be taken which cannot wait for the ordinary meetings of the Councils without seriously delaying progress.

The Housing of the Working Classes Act, 1890, provides for the appointment of Committees in Section 81, which enacts:

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For the purposes of this Act, a Local Authority acting under this Act may appoint out of their own number so many persons as they may think fit for any purposes of this Act which in the opinion of such authority would be better regulated and managed by means of a Committee: Provided that a Committee so appointed shall in no case be authorised to borrow any money, to make any rate, or to enter into any contract, and shall be subject to any regulations and restrictions which may be imposed by the Authority that formed it."

The need for prompt action and continuous control is specially urgent in the present emergency and in the Housing Bill at present before Parliament provision is made for repeal of the words which at present prevent a Housing Committee entering into any contract. It will therefore be possible for Local Authorities to delegate to Committees all the powers which they can themselves exercise in regard to Housing, except those of borrowing money and making a rate. Dr. Addison is confident that full advantage will be taken of these provisions and that where Housing Committees do not already exist they will be appointed at once to undertake the preliminary work so that

when the Bill becomes Law they may be in a position to complete their schemes and take all steps, including the placing of Contracts, to secure their rapid execution.

2. Bills of Quantities.

It has been brought to Dr. Addison's notice that in some instances Local Authorities are proposing in connection with Housing schemes undertaken by them, to invite tenders for the erection of houses without requiring the submission of Bills of Quantities on the ground that progress with their schemes will be expedited by the adoption of this

course.

Dr. Addison is in cordial sympathy with the desire of Local Authorities that building operations should be started at the earliest possible date, and he appreciates that there may be exceptional circumstances in which the procedure by means of quantities need not necessarily be adopted. He is, however, of opinion that, generally speaking, the adoption of any alternative course will not secure any economy in time, and he thinks it desirable, in order that competitive tenders upon a comparable basis may be obtained, that properly prepared Bills of Quantities should be supplied in connection with work under these schemes.

He suggests therefore that this course shall be adopted by Local Authorities for building operations at present in contemplation, and that in order to obviate delay in dealing with the tenders, Local Authorities who have schemes in hand should at once proceed to obtain the services of a Quantity Surveyor.

3. Materials.

Dr. Addison has been in further communication with the Ministry of Supplies with regard to the supply of building materials in connection with State-aided Housing Schemes, and a memorandum indicating the arrangements which have been made and the procedure which should be followed by local Authorities is enclosed for the information of your Council.

I am, Sir,

Your obedient Servant,

E. R. FORBER,

Assistant Secretary.

CIRCULAR OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT BOARD.

LAND FOR HOUSING SCHEMES.

Local Government Board,

Whitehall, S.W.1,

13th June, 1919.

Sir, I am directed by the President of the Local Government Board to refer to the Circular of the 2nd May respecting the procedure to be followed by local authorities in arranging for the acquisition of sites for housing schemes, and to state that experience has shown that in some cases a modification of that procedure may be an advantage and may result in expedition.

Under the arrangements described in the former Circular it has been the practice to ask the Valuer to supply a copy of his valuation of the site, which valuation may be taken to represent the fair market value.

It has been represented that in some instances failure to treat the valuation as confidential has tended to prejudice the conduct of subsequent negotiations by the local authority or by the District Valuer.

I am, therefore, to suggest that, if your Council consider that time will be saved or that the procedure is otherwise preferable, they should, after obtaining the opinion of the Housing Commissioner that the site in question is generally suitable as a housing site, request the District Valuer to negotiate with the owner or his agent without first reporting his opinion of the value.

The District Valuer will in such a case interview the owner and report that he has agreed a price which he can recommend for approval by the Local Government Board or that the negotiations have failed.

When the Valuer reports the result of his negotiations and submits the price at which the Local Authority can acquire and which he can recommend for approval, it will be for the Local Authority to decide whether they propose to acquire the land and to enter into a provisional agreement for its purchase.

I am, Sir,

Your obedient Servant,

E. R. FORBER,
Assistant Secretary.

* K

CIRCULAR OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT BOARD.

WORKING-CLASS DWELLINGS.

Local Government Board,

Whitehall, S.W.1,

16th June, 1919.

Sir, Dr. Addison is anxious to be in a position to answer the numerous questions which are being put to him as to the progress in the provision of working-class dwellings, and it is of great importance, on general grounds, that the Government should be in possession of this information. He will be much obliged if the local authorities will help him to obtain it regularly and completely.

Cards have been prepared for the purpose which, it is hoped, will give the minimum of trouble to the officials concerned in filling them up with the necessary statistics.

It is presumed that the Surveyor (or in some cases, the Engineer) will be the official who will be best able to supply this information, and I am therefore to ask that you will be so good as to pass on to him the documents and cards enclosed herewith.

I am further to state that Dr. Addison will be obliged if the Surveyor or Engineer is given every facility for obtaining and furnishing the required information regularly and as accurately as possible.

It is of urgent importance that the first (blue) card shall be returned within a week from this date.

I am, Sir,

Your obedient Servant,
H. C. MONRO,

Secretary.

The Clerk of the Council.

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