THE HOUSE OF COMMONS.

Press, Volume LXVII, Issue 20214, 17 April 1931, Page 11

THE HOUSE OF COMMONS.

TOWN-PLANNING. SAFEGUARDING EDEAL ENGLAND (BftITIBH OFMCIAL ■ WIBELESS.) (Received April 16th, 5.6 p.m.) RUGBY, April 15. Thp AJinisfcer for' Health, Mr Arthur moved the seoond reading of the Town and Country Planning Pill, which gives local authorities control of the future development of all land in Great Britain and provides fpr the preservation qf rural amenities snd of buildipgs and objects of beauty. Hie said that in the next five years buildings expenditure would he perhaps £3,000,000, and with a -building programme of that magnitude the importance of planning ahead was evident. The economic lops of failure to organise development would be colossal. They must secure for the nation wide economic development and proper conditions of healthy life and prevent the desecration of rural England by a conscious policy of national planning. For the Conservatives, Mr Neville Chamberlain gave general approval to the main objects of the BiK. Customs Union. _ ' Replying to a number of questions in tne> House of Opmmons on th® pjopqsed Austro-Gerriqan Ojistpm* TJnjop, the Foreign Minister, Mr .ir* tfyur Henderson, said he wsp W jcojfe' eqltation with the president of the Board of Trade, Mr W. Graham, 'PR the ecjonomio aspects of the proposed Custqms Union. A Geneva telggrftip fo-nignt paid that the German Foreign Minister, Di*. Curtius, has intimated to the League of Nations Secretariat that he will explain t}ie motives of the Austro-Cterman .agreement in the European committee of May 15th; in n discussion' on the l'ailuro of the Commercial Convention drafted by the Conference for concerted econqmip actibn in March lfist year.

EAST WOOLWICH BY-ELECTION. \ LABOUR RETAINS SEAT. (Received. April 16th, 7.5 p.m.) LONPON, fipril 16. The East Wuolwioh by-election rendered necessary owing to the elevation of Mr H. Snell to the peerage, resulted:— a ■ George Hicks (Labour) ... 16,200 E. S. Shr&pnell-Smith (Conservtotiyej ••• 12,857 The results at the General Election in 1929 were - H. Snoll (Labour) ... 20,447 E. S. Shrappeil-Sinith (Conservative) ' ... 11,806 EASTEH IN PALESTINE. . LONDON, April 15. ' Asked in the House of Commons about the present position in Palestine, Dr, phiels, Under-Secretary for the'' Colpnjes, said' that apart from an" isolated incident, the' Easter jjpason—always a difficult time—had passed off quietly. JJeplying tp a supplementary question as to' whether ' since the publication of the ?rime Minister's letter to Dr. Weizmann, the Qovornment was in a.position to get the Jews and Arabs, together to discuss an amicable arrangement, Dr. Shielß indicated that the Government was' taking steps with that object.