As regards Part III. schemes, a discretion is given to the Minister to extend the period of one year during which reasonable progress must be made.

As regards Part I. and II. schemes, the period during which reasonable progress must be made is extended from two to four years, and the period for completion of the scheme is extended from three to six years. In each case the Minister has discretion to extend

the period.

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In all cases where the Minister has a discretion to extend the period fixed by the regulations, he will have regard to the supplies of labour and material available from time to time and all other local and general circumstances affecting the carrying into effect of the scheme."

6. Article IV, corresponds with Article III. of the previous regulations, but some minor amendments have been made. In sub-division 3 (a) a reference is included to the cost of land acquired for the purposes of the assisted scheme. The loan charges in respect of all land approved as part of an assisted scheme may properly be debited to the Housing (Assisted Scheme) Accounts, and this is now specifically provided for. If, through no fault of the Local Authority, the land is not developed within the period specified Article III. (2) (iii) or (iv), the loan charges will still be debited to the Housing (Assisted Scheme) Accounts; but those accounts must be credited with any income from the land, or with the proceeds of the sale of the land.

Sub-division (4) of the previous regulation dealt with the disposal of any debit balance at the conclusion of the financial year. This is merely a matter of accounting, and, as it was thought that it would be more appropriately dealt with in an Accounts Order, the clause has been omitted from the revised regulations.

7. Article V. reproduces Article IV. of the previous regulations. 8. Article VI. contains provisions on the lines of those which were previously included in Articles V. (1) and (2), Article VI. (1) and Article VII. As required by the Act, the subsidy will still be based upon estimates, but the new regulations provide for a ten-yearly revision of the estimate after 1927.

9. Article VII. corresponds with the provisions previously contained in Article V. (3) and (4) and VI. (2).

Sub-division (1) contains provisions (relating to deductions from the subsidy in certain circumstances) which are required by the Act to be included in the regulations.

Sub-division (2) prescribes the percentage allowances to be included in respect of the charges for unoccupied houses. repairs, and the expenses of management. The Minister realises that it would be difficult to determine these allowances on a basis which would be generally accepted, until some experience has been gained of the actual working of the schemes under the new conditions. Sub

division (3), therefore, provides for a reconsideration of the percentages in 1927 after full inquiry and consultation with the local Authorities. The regulations also provide for an increase of the percentages if at any time the Minister considers an increase to be reasonable, having regard to the special circumstances of the case.

10. An alteration has been made in the constitution of the tribunal for arbitration, it being thought that the Local Authorities would. wish to be represented on this tribunal.

11. Sub-division (5) of Article VII. and Schedule B, relate to the determination of rents, and it will be seen that the rules in Schedule B have been re-drafted with a view to meeting objections. Rule 1 is similar to Rule 2 of the previous regulations, and deals with the initial rents. Rules 2 and 3 deal with the rents to be obtained after 1927. Rule 2 defines the rent which should be secured, if that is reasonably possible, by 1927, namely, a rent based upon the cost of building at that time. Rule 3 requires that if it is not then found possible to secure the rent defined by Rule 2, the rent shall be the best which is reasonably obtainable. It has never been intended that the Local Authority should be penalised if it is not found practicable in 1927 to obtain a rent based upon the cost of building at that time, and the Minister thinks that this is made clear by the new regulations.

12. Article VIII. includes provisions which were previously included in Article VI. (3) and (4), Article VIII. and Article IX. The only substantial modification is that contained in the proviso to sub-division (3), which relates to the sale of land and houses. It will be observed that if, as the result of the sale the annual deficit, under the assisted scheme, is reduced, the amount saved will be apportioned in reduction of both the subsidy and the rate contribution.

13. Article IX. reproduces the old Article VI. (5) in a modified form. The instalments of the subsidy will be paid, so far as possible, at dates which will meet the convenience of the Local Authority, so that it will not be necessary to have recourse to bank overdrafts, or to raise more than a penny rate for the purpose of meeting current expenditure under the scheme.

14. Article X. deals with financial adjustments, and is similar to the proviso to Article X. of the previous regulations.

15. The Minister has endeavoured so to frame the revised regulations as to remove the genuine doubts which have been expressed with regard to the intention of those previously issued, and he trusts that there will now be no obstacle on this ground to the rapid prosecution of housing schemes.

Ministry of Health,

Whitehall, S.W.1.

December, 1919.

REGULATIONS OF MINISTRY OF HEALTH.

65,605

THE HOUSING ACTS (COMPULSORY PURCHASE)

AMENDMENT REGULATIONS, 1919.

The Minister of Health, in pursuance of the powers conferred on him by the First Schedule to the Housing, Town Planning, etc., Act, 1909, and of all other powers enabling him in that behalf, hereby makes the following Regulations:-

1. These Regulations may be cited as "The Housing Acts (Compulsory Purchase) Amendment Regulations, 1919," and shall be read as one with the Housing Acts (Compulsory Purchase) Regulations, 1919, hereinafter called the principal Regulations.

2.

-Where the Minister of Health makes an Order for the compulsory acquisition of land under the powers conferred on him by Section 16 of the Housing, Town Planning, etc., Act, 1919, for the purpose of securing the immediate provision of dwelling accommodation in the area of any Local Authority, the principal Regulations shall be read and have effect subject to the following modifications :(a) The following Articles shall be substituted for Articles IV., V., and VI. of the principal Regulations :---

:

"Article IV.—(1) The Minister shall cause the Compulsory Order to be published by advertisement in one or more newspapers circulating in the district of the Local Authority and in the parish or parishes in which the land to which the Compulsory Order relates is situated.

(2) The said advertisement shall be published not later than the second day after the making of the Compulsory Order.

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(3) The said advertisement shall contain in addition, to a copy of the Compulsory Order a notice setting out the following particulars :

"(a) a statement that any objection to the Compulsory Order must be presented to the Minister of Health within the period of seven days from and after the date of the publication of the advertisement; and

"(b) a statement of the period, times, and place or places during and at which the deposited plan referred to in the Schedule to the Compulsory Order may be inspected by or on behalf of any person interested in the land to which the Compulsory Order relates.

(4) The plan referred to in the Schedule to the Compulsory Order shall be deposited by the Minister not later than the second day after the making of the Compulsory Order at a place

.convenient for the purposes of inspection, and shall be kept deposited thereat for a period not being less than seven days from the date of the publication of the first advertisement; and the said plan shall be open for inspection by any person interested or affected, without payment of any fee, at all reasonable hours on any week-day during the said period. The Minister shall also make suitable provision for affording to any such person inspecting the said plan any necessary explanation or information in regard thereto.

"Article V.—(1) The Minister shall, not later than the second day after the making of the Compulsory Order, cause notice thereof to be given to every owner, lessee, and occupier of the land to which the Compulsory Order relates, and every such notice shall include a copy of the Compulsory Order, to which shall be appended a notice containing the particulars mentioned in paragraph (3) of Article IV. of these Regulations.

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(2) The Minister shall furnish a copy of the Compulsory Order, free of charge, to any person interested in the land to which the Compulsory Order relates, upon his applying for the

same.

"Article VI.-The period within which an objection to a Compulsory Order may be presented to the Minister by a person interested in the land to which the Compulsory Order relates shall be the period of seven days from and after the date of the publication of the advertisement of the Compulsory Order." (b) "The Minister" shall be substituted for "the Local Authority" in Articles III. and VII. of the principal Regulations.

3. Notwithstanding anything in these Regulations, the Minister may in any case to which these Regulations apply direct that the period during which objections may be presented to a Compulsory Order shall be fourteen days in lieu of seven days.

4. These Regulations shall apply in the case of any Compulsory Order made by the Minister after the twenty-third day of October, One thousand nine hundred and nineteen, for the purpose of securing the immediate provision of dwelling accommodation, but without prejudice to any Compulsory Order made by the Minister under the principal Regulations before that date or to any proceedings consequent thereon in the exercise by him in pursuance of Section 16 of the Housing, Town Planning, etc., Act, 1919, of any powers of a Local Authority.

Given under the Official Seal of the Minister of Health this twenty-third day of October, One thousand nine hundred and nineteen.

(L.S.)

E. R. FORBER,

Assistant Secretary, Ministry of Health.

REGULATIONS OF MINISTRY OF HEALTH.

65,736

THE LOCAL AUTHORITIES (ASSISTED HOUSING

SCHEMES) REGULATIONS, 1919.

WHEREAS by subsection (1) of Section 7 of the Housing, Town Planning, etc., Act, 1919, it is enacted that if it appears to the Local Government Board that the carrying out by a local authority, or by a county council to whom the powers of a local authority have been transferred under that Act, of any scheme approved under Section 1 of that Act or the carrying out of a re-housing scheme in connection with a scheme made under Part I. or Part II. of the Housing of the Working Classes Act, 1890, including the acquisition, clearance and development of land included in the last-mentioned scheme, and whether the re-housing will be effected on the area included in that scheme or elsewhere, has resulted or is likely to result in a loss, the Board shall, if the scheme is carried out within such period after the passing of that Act as may be specified by the Board with the consent of the Treasury, pay or undertake to pay to the local authority or county council, out of moneys provided by Parliament, such part of the loss as may be determined to be so payable under regulations made by the Board with the approval of the Treasury, subject to such conditions as may be prescribed by those regulations;

AND WHEREAS by subsection (2) of the said Section 7 it is enacted that such regulations shall provide that the amount of any annual payment to be made under the Section shall, in the case of a scheme carried out by a local authority, be determined on the basis of the estimated annual loss resulting from the carrying out of any scheme or schemes to which the Section applies, subject to the deduction therefrom of a sum not exceeding the estimated annual produce of a rate of one penny in the pound levied in the area chargeable with the expenses of such scheme or schemes:

NOW THEREFORE, the Minister of Health, in pursuance of his powers under the recited enactments and under any other Statutes in that behalf, hereby makes the following Regulations:

ARTICLE I.-(1) These Regulations may be cited as "The Local Authorities (Assisted Housing Schemes) Regulations, 1919."

(2) The Housing (Assisted Scheme) Regulations, 1919, so far as they are in force at the date of this Order, are hereby revoked. ARTICLE II. (1) In these Regulations unless the contrary intention appears :—

(a) The expression "the Minister" means the Minister of Health;

(b) The expression "Local Authority" means any local authority referred to in Section 7 of the Housing, Town