§ 8. Lieutenant William Shepherdasked the Minister of Health if he will state the number of houses which his Department estimates it will be necessary to build before the housing stringency is eased
§ Mr. BevanEasing of the.housing stringency is a matter of opinion and does not lend itself to precise statistics. The erection of the 750,000 houses which have been estimated to be needed in order to provide a separate house for each family would substantially improve the present position.
§ Lieutenant ShepherdWill the right hon. Gentleman say whether this figure of 750,000 was the one which he had in mind when he said that the stringency-would be eased by the end of 1947?
§ Mr. BevanThe answer is that various estimates have been formed as to the number of houses needed to be built in Great Britain, and they vary from 750,000 to 6,000,000, so the hon. Member can take 'his choice.