HC Deb 04 May 1950 vol 474 cc1886-90
27. Mr. Braine

asked the Minister of Health if, in view of the considerable demand in certain districts for the build-of houses under private licence, he will consider relaxing the present fixed ratio of nine council houses to every house built under private licence, so as to enable local housing authorities in those districts to vary the ratio in meeting their local housing needs.

93. Brigadier Medlicott

asked the Minister of Health if he will now give local authorities a discretion to relax the present ratio of nine council houses to every house built under private licence so as to enable local authorities more effectively to meet the particular needs of their own district.

94. Mr. Martin Lindsay

asked the Minister of Health if he will now authorise local authorities to give additional building licences, not counting against their quota, to owner-occupiers who, with members of their families, are qualified to build for themselves and willing to do so and have the land and approved plans, in view of the fact that such a procedure will make no call upon normal building labour.

98. Mr. Deedes

asked the Minister of Health if he will now say what changes he proposes to make in the proportion of licences allowed for private building in view of the Government's revised housing target of 200,000 houses.

103. Brigadier Peto

asked the Minister of Health whether the Government's new housing target of 200,001) houses will mean an increase in the proportion of private licences which local authorities may issue; and whether he will make a statement.

111. Mr. Watkinson

asked the Minister of Health if he is now in a position to make a statement on the granting of additional building licences.

Mr. Bevan

I have considered the provision which ought to be made in the programme for houses to be built for owner occupiers under licence. Experience has shown that in very many districts the claims of those in the most urgent need of houses make it necessary that at least nine-tenths of the houses built should be council houses. In other districts, however, those in the most urgent need of homes may include a greater proportion of persons who wish to build a house for their own occupation. Each authority should consider for itself among those decided to be in the most urgent need, the numbers and needs of the two types of applicant. In order to enable each council to take account of the circumstances of its district I have decided to restore to housing authorities the discretion to issue licences up to a maximum of one-fifth of their allocation where they are satisfied that this is justified by the needs of the applicants. I am prepared to consider exceptionally applicants from local authorities for permission to exceed the figure of one fifth where I am satisfied that this course is necessary in the light of the evidence submitted to me as to the proportionate numbers and needs of the applicants for council houses, and of the applicants for licences.

It sometimes happens that an applicant living in one district desires to move to another district and to build a house there for his own occupation; by this means a 'better distribution of housing may be brought about by the release of the house in which he at present lives. I am ready to authorise arrangements for making licences mobile, and to agree in such cases that a licence can be issued by the authority in whose area the house is to be built on the understanding that the licence will be chargeable against the quota of the authority for the district in which the applicant at present lives. A circular is being issued to local authorities and a copy will be placed in the Library.

Mr. Braine

While admitting that this is a step in the right direction, and congratulating the Minister on accepting our advice from this side of the House, may I ask him whether he is aware that in many districts the ratio should be nearer 1 in 2, and that the arrangement he has just announced does not go far enough?

Mr. Bevan

If the hon. Member had listened carefully to what I said he would have heard that I am trying to make the arrangement as flexible as possible to meet the varying needs of different districts in various parts of the country. There are some areas where hardly any licences are required, and there are other areas where a higher proportion is required. That is why this arrangement will give greater flexibility.

Mr. Lindsay

Why has it taken the right hon. Gentleman five years to agree that this degree of flexibility is necessary? Is he aware that had this been done at a much earlier stage we should have had many more houses built by now?

Mr. Bevan

The hon. Member will appreciate that the substance of what I have said merely restores the one in five ratio to where it has been almost for five years. Furthermore, the relaxation is now possible because in many districts the provision of houses has met the needs of a very large proportion of the inhabitants.

Lieut.-Colonel Walter Elliot

Further to the last sentence of the Minister, that in many areas the needs have already been met—

Mr. Bevan

I did not say that. The hon. Friends of the right hon. and gallant Gentleman cheered so enthusiastically that they drowned the last part of my sentence.

Lieut.-Colonel Elliot

Then supposing the Minister's statement to have been that the needs have not been met, can he tell us whether the total allocation of houses is to be increased or whether this is simply a reshuffle of the already too scanty allocation which he has allowed?

Mr. Bevan

That is not the Question on the Order Paper. What I am dealing with at the moment is how to share the available housing programme among various types of applicants.

Lieut.-Colonel Elliot

This is very important to the House. Do I understand that this means no total increase in the housing programme?

Mr. Bevan

That is not the Question on the Order Paper. Moreover, the housing programme is what was announced by the Chancellor of the Exchequer in his Budget Statement.

Mrs. Braddock

Is the Minister aware that in areas such as Liverpool, where the slum conditions are positively disgusting, any use of materials for building houses for people who can buy while there is still a shortage of houses for people who can only rent will not give cause for any great enthusiasm in the area which I represent?

Mr. Bevan

That is a matter which is entirely at the discretion of the local authority. If the population of Liverpool elect the wrong people they must put up with the consequences.

Brigadier Prior-Palmer

May I warmly thank the Minister for having accepted in almost every detail the suggestions I made in the Adjournment Debate on 24th March? Will he give a further assurance that he will now give effect to the pledge which he gave in the Dome, Brighton, in November, 1949, that he would make available for sale houses built under the terms of Circular 92 of 1946?

Mr. Bevan

The hon. and gallant Memfber will find that he is mistaken in that matter. The houses to which he referred are those built by private builders for sale to local authorities.

Mr. Gibson

Is the Minister aware that what he has just said about this change will not be welcomed wholeheartedly in other parts of the House? When he is considering applications for more than the one in five ratio will he bear in mind the situation in those towns where private enterprise has never taken up its full allocation?

Mr. Bevan

We shall, of course, take that into account. As I said, that situation will occur only in very exceptional cases. I am not expecting to have to concede many of such applications, because over most parts of the country the demand is still for houses to let.

Mr. Deedes

Having reached this decision, will the Minister do everything he can to ensure that the long delays between the application for private licences and their fulfilment are reduced as far as possible?

Mr. Bevan

In view of the fact that we have always been charged with putting more houses into production than the physical capacity of the industry can bear, there can hardly be complaint against the administration for delay.

Mr. R. S. Hudson

Do the conditions which the right hon. Gentleman has announced also apply to farmers in rural areas who wish to build cottages for their workers?

Mr. Bevan

Of course.

Mr. Hudson

The right hon. Gentleman referred only to persons who wished to build houses for themselves.

Mr. Bevan

There are some instances in which employers wish to build houses and let them, and these will be taken into account.

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