asked the Minister of Health whether he will give the number of applicants for houses on the list of each of the housing authorities in Nottinghamshire including the City of Nottingham together with the number of houses to help the Lyme Regis Borough Council to find the labour required for their permanent housing and electricity schemes, now that all prisoner-of-war labour has been withdrawn.

As the hon. Member has been informed, no local labour is at present available and the absence of suitable accommodation makes it difficult to import any. My officers, in co-operation with the Ministry of Labour and Ministry of Works, both in London and in Dorset, are, however, continuing their efforts to secure more labour.

Is the Minister aware that these unfinished schemes have been held up for nearly three months and that there is a great risk of deterioration?

We cannot at the moment add to the amount of local labour available and I gather that the Opposition are not in favour of direction.