asked the Minister of Health whether he has considered cases submitted to him showing delays in fixing sites for proposed housing owing to differences of view amongst Government Departments and different councils in parts of Kent; and whether he is satisfied that the machinery and procedure for settling these differences are the best that can be devised.

Yes, Sir. The difficulty in these cases has, in the main, arisen through the need to reconcile the conflicting claims of agriculture and housing. I will write to my hon. Friend giving him fuller details of each case. The procedure is on the whole working well but it is being very carefully watched and such improvements will be made as experience may dictate.