THE HOUSING QUESTION 
117 
prehensive housing scheme "—“ in accordance with 
the housing needs of the district "—" to extend their 
financial assistance [i.e., to pay out of the taxes all 
loss beyond a penny rate] not only to the provision of 
new houses but to schemes undertaken in slum areas.” 
The Government went further. The above extract 
shews that they promised to build the houses them 
selves if the Local Authority failed to do their duty. 
They have not done so in a single case. 
In the same debate. Major Astor (now Lord Astor), 
Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Health, 
said with all the authority of the Government behind 
him :— 
" It is quite obvious it would be impossible to ask the occupiers 
of half a million new houses, which it is proposed to erect, to pay 
in 1927 an economic rent based on the present cost of erecting 
houses, charged as from that date.” 
And let us recall again what the Prime Minister said 
in 1918 :— 
“ At least 500,000 houses are needed to supply the legitimate 
demands for housing in this country, quite apart from the great 
question of dealing with slum areas." 
Who, after reading these extracts, can doubt that 
the Government in 1918 and 1919, meant the electors 
to understand that these 500,000 houses would at all 
costs be built and the loss borne by the Government ? 
Lord Robert Cecil said in the debate on 13th March, 
1922 :—