asked the Minister of Health whether, in the interests of the advancement of younger men, he will arrange for the issue of building permits on a more generous scale to elderly farmers past active management of large farms who are anxious to retire to smaller holdings.

Local authorities already have discretion to issue house-building licences within their quotas where they consider the need justifies such action, and they have been informed that priority should be given to applications recommended by the County Agricultural Committee in the interests of food production.