§ 34. Sir Waldron Smithersasked the Minister of Housing and Local Government if he will remove all restrictions on the building of houses, except that, while the housing shortage prevails, no house shall exceed £1,500 or contain more than three bedrooms, subject always to the submission to local authorities of plans and amenities.
§ Mr. MarplesMy right hon. Friend hopes progressively to achieve greater flexibility and freedom in the building of houses. We have already made considerable progress in this direction.
§ Sir W. SmithersIs the Parliamentary Secretary aware that if all restrictions of his Ministry and of the local authorities were removed, except those indicated in the Question, we should get thousands more houses, and that there are enough men and materials in the country to build the houses if all restrictions were removed?
§ Mr. MarplesI would remind my hon. Friend that my right hon. Friend has indicated that if any local authority has unemployed resources of material and labour, he will consider granting them further instalments of houses.
§ Mr. Douglas JayHas the Minister noticed that in asking for controls on the price and so on of houses built by private enterprise, the hon. Member for Orpington (Sir W. Smithers) is becoming infected with Socialist doctrine?
§ Sir W. SmithersOn a point of order, Mr. Speaker, I wish to protest against that Jay question.