§ 14. Lieut.-Colonel Liptonasked the Minister of Housing and Local Government whether he is aware that local authorities in the London area have either closed or propose to close their housing lists ; and what action he proposes to take in view of the distress caused thereby to many applicants for rehousing.
§ Mr. SandysLocal authorities must be allowed to decide for themselves how best to handle applications for houses in their areas.
§ Lieut.-Colonel LiptonIs the hon. Gentleman aware that as a deliberate result of Government policy about 165,000 applicants on the L. C. C. housing lists, for example, have no prospect whatever of being rehoused at all, and that slum clearance will help only a very small proportion of them? Has the Minister any conscience at all in the matter?
§ Mr. SandysI do not know what action the hon. and gallant Member has in mind but if, as I suspect, he is referring to the financial aspects of housing, such as subsidies, interest rates and so forth, all I can say is that, in so far as London authorities are reducing their house-building programmes, it is due primarily not to financial reasons but to lack of land on which to build.