§ 65. Mr. Vosperasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if the amount of £451,000,000, allocated in the Economic Survey for investment in housing for the current year, will cover the increase necessary as a result of the restoration of the cuts in housing.
§ Sir S. CrippsIt is expected that the restoration of the cuts in housing will cause some additional expenditure in the current year.
§ Mr. VosperWill this mean an increase in the total capital investment for the current year, or will a compensating reduction be made elsewhere?
§ Sir S. CrippsIt will mean an increase in the total, but probably by a comparatively small amount.
§ Mr. Godfrey NicholsonCannot the Chancellor give an estimate of what that amount will be? He must have had some idea before he made that statement.
§ Sir S. CrippsIt is very difficult to know how quickly the local authorities will get on with the re-starting of the programme. It is not possible to make any accurate estimate within this year.
§ Mr. NicholsonThe Chancellor made a statement about this in his Budget speech. Is he so vague about these matters that he cannot give us even a rough estimate?
§ Sir S. CrippsIt has nothing to do with the balancing of the Budget; it is a question of the investment programme.