§ 4. Mr. Piratinasked the Minister of Health if he has received the information concerning housing waiting lists from local authorities for which he asked in his Circular 171/48, and which should have been returned to his Department by 31st March; and when he will make a report of the information he has received.
§ Mr. BevanReturns have now been received from all but a few local authorities, but I am unable at present to add to the reply I gave on 24th October.
§ Mr. PiratinDoes the Minister therefore say that he has not received all the replies which were due some seven months ago? Was not the purpose of collating this information in order to 510 know exactly what kind of housing programme was necessary?
§ Mr. BevanThe purpose is to enable local authorities to screen housing lists, to have them sent to the central authority and then have them analysed for redundancy and various other particulars in order to give us, as far as possible, an approximate estimate of the housing needs.
§ Squadron-Leader FlemingFrom his study of those replies which have already been received could the right hon. Gentleman tell us whether the number of people waiting for houses is increasing or decreasing?
§ Mr. BevanI should say they are on the decrease, not on the increase, but until all the returns are in I cannot tell what the figures are.
§ Mr. Derek Walker-SmithDoes not the Minister agree that the lists will be added to considerably by the persons who are disappointed through not getting a licence to have a house built by private enterprise? Will not that be a further addition to the list?
§ Mr. BevanI do not agree at all. If a person has a need ahead of someone else then he should receive his requirements from the local authority's scheme and not merely by virtue of the fact that he has the money to buy a house.