HC Deb 12 June 1947 vol 438 cc1344-5
63. Mr. Alpass

asked the Minister of Health why the Mangotsfield Urban Council has issued 126 licences to private builders for houses for sale, of which 72 have been completed, whereas only 16 to let have been completed under their own authority.

Mr. Bevan

The figure of 126 licences quoted by my hon. Friend should be reduced by 43 which have lapsed. The Council were in March, 1946, prohibited from issuing further licences without prior consent. They hope to have completed 156 Council houses by the end of the year.

Mr. Alpass

Is my right hon. Friend aware that very great dissatisfaction has been caused in the district by this unfair allocation of licences to private builders, and in view of the very great need for houses in that district will he see that in future a fairer proportion of houses to let will be built by the local authorities?

Mr. Bevan

It is because the local authority had, in my view, exceeded their powers that I withdrew their powers to confer the licences. The number of licences for houses for sale out of the overall total for the country is rather less than one in five.

Mr. Walker-Smith

In order that the House can get a complete view of the situation referred to in this Question, could the Minister also give the number of houses started by the local authorities as well as the number of houses completed?

Mr. Bevan

That information is in the monthly return. It is really rather nonsense to issue these documents every month if hon. Members will not read and study them.

Mr. Walker-Smith

Is the Minister aware that that extremely discourteous reply altogether misses the point? Is he aware that all I was concerned to do was to assist him to give the House a picture of this situation while it has the matter in mind?

Mr. Bevan

I am very grateful for the hon. Member's offer of assistance, but he knows very well that there is no industry in this country, with the exception of the coal industry, about which more statistics have been given to the House over the last 20 months, and I am bound to say, even if it is discourteous, that the questions sometimes put to me from the other side of the House show that hon. Members do not read the returns when they are issued.