7 6 
THE HOUSING QUESTION 
Take a typical and well-known instance—the Brady 
Street area in Bethnal Green. Early in 1919, Queen 
Alexandra visited this area, and as a consequence the 
Ministry of Health “ had their attention directed to 
it,” and presumably set to work. In a reply in the 
House of Commons on 29th June, 1921, 2^ years 
later, Sir Alfred Mond said that no decision had yet 
been given in regard to this scheme. Can procras 
tination go further ? 
On 13th March, 1922, the Minister at length reported 
that “ a start had been made on the Brady Street 
Scheme.” 
However, Colonel Fremantle, a Conservative Coalition 
Member and Chairman of the Housing Committee 
of the London County Council, threw new light on 
this. He told the Minister that, although the Brady 
Street Scheme had been sanctioned two months 
before (January, 1922), the L.C.C. had heard nothing 
from the Ministry as regards approval of 17 other 
most urgent slum-clearance schemes, where enquiries 
had been held 18 months ago. He added, “ We were 
right behindhand with this slum business and waiting 
for a policy.” 
If such was the case in this famous slum, things 
elsewhere in the country are much worse. Not only 
has slum clearance practically nowhere begun, but the 
Minister would not during 1920 or 1921 consider slum 
clearance schemes at all, and at the beginning of the 
latter year sent his emissaries round the larger boroughs 
to implore them to rescind any “ resolutions ” proposing 
to proceed with such schemes.