§ 29. Mr. Sparksasked the Minister of Housing and Local Government why the rate of dwellings completed and the number of dwellings in local authority schemes approved by him since 7th November, 1951, has fallen.
§ Mr. H. MacmillanThe hon. Member is quite wrong. More houses were completed in the three months ended 31st January, 1952, and more were included in tenders approved in that period, than in the corresponding period a year ago.
§ Mr. SparksWill the right hon. Gentleman then explain the figures which appear in the latest Housing Summary, dated 31st January, which shows that the rate of completions is lower than for the past three months, and is now running at an annual rate of 188,000 a year?
§ Mr. MacmillanI think the hon. Gentleman has mis-read the figures. The precise figure for the period was 40,000 in the one case, and nearly 46,000 in the other. In the numbers of tenders approved, the figure was 41,000 rising to 46,000.
§ Mr. SparksThat does not apply to the original licence.
§ Mr. MacmillanThe first figure I gave was of completions, and the second related to tenders.