B.—lB

in preference to buying existing houses. The Board will continue to give every encouragement to those applicants desirous of building their own homes, by providing a wide range of plans and specifications and by helpful advice and assistance to the limit of its powers. 5. Financing Increased Production. —As in the earlier years of the war, the Corporation has continued to give assistance in connection with special schemes for increased production with a view to providing additional food for the Armed Forces overseas and for the people of Great Britain. There was, however, 110 special development to report during the year. 6. Soldiers' Financial Assistance. —The administration work of the Soldiers' Financial Assistance Board, which was set up by the Government early in 1940 in order to consider applications from soldiers and their dependants who, by reason of their military service, were unable to meet their normal and reasonable financial commitments, continues to be carried out by the Corporation. During the period immediately following the entry of Japan into the war a considerable volume of work was involved, but it is fortunate, in view of the marked increase in the work of the Corporation in other directions during the past year, that the number of applications for soldiers' financial assistance has been rapidly declining, as is shown by the statement hereunder : — Number. Grant. £ 1940-41 .. .. .. .. .. 2,815 43,092 1941-42 .. .. .. .. .. 3,375 149,081 1942-43 .. .. .. .. .. 11,877 350,205 1943-44 .. .. .. .. .. 3,427 197,779 1944-45 1,285 127,506 Total .. .. .. ..22,779 £867,663 It is, however, still necessary to review current grants from time to time, usually annually, and during the year under review some 5,108 cases were dealt with in this way by the Board. In the previous year the number of grants brought under review was 8,639, so that in this field also there lias been, a substantial reduction. The number of grants current as at 31st March, 1945, was 3,479. The payments made under the authority of the Soldiers' Financial Assistance Board are met by the Treasury from the War Expenses Account. 7. Rehabilitation Agency.—The Corporation continues to act as the agent of the Rehabilitation Board in the consideration and administration of loans for the rehabilitation of ex-servicemen. As has already been said, the main bulk of the new lending business during the past year comes under the category of rehabilitation. The funds required to meet loans to ex-servicemen under the rehabilitation scheme on dwelling and farm properties have so far been provided by the Corporation from moneys accumulated during the war years for this purpose. In respect of other types of rehabilitation loans, such as for businesses, the purchase of furniture and tools of trade, the funds are provided from the War Expenses Account, but such loans are also administered by the Corporation 011 an agency basis. The following table shows the total number and amount of all rehabilitation loans granted from the inception of the scheme up to 31st March, 1945 : — For Year 1944-45. Total to Date. Number. Amount. Number. Amount. £ £ Farm .. .. .. 479 1,612,568 734 2,374,142 House — Purchase .. .. 1,272 1,145,042 2,018 1,886,872 Erection .. .. 660 792,585 782 940,450 Supplementary .. (1,250) 205,888 (1,285) 210,128 Business .. .. 947 433,733 1,295 564,854 Furniture .. .. 3,566 327,865 5,589 509,713 Tools of Trade .. .. 282 8,729 433 12,908 Miscellaneous .. .. 57 8,424 59 8,507 Total .. .. 7,263 £4,534,834 10,910 £6,507,574

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