§ 25. Mr. Awberyasked the Minister of Housing and Local Government if he is aware that there are people on the waiting list for council houses at Bristol who 20 will have to wait several years before they can get a house, unless the present restrictions on housing are removed; and if he will consult the local authorities there with a view to finding a method of dealing with this problem more effectively.
§ Mr. H. BrookeThe City Council is free to build as many houses as it wishes. At its present rate of building, it is estimated that about 2,500 tenancies will become available for allocation in the current year, about half from new building and half from vacancies occurring in the Council's existing houses. At this rate of progress, I cannot see why cases of genuine need should not be met within a reasonable period.
§ Mr. AwberyHave not restrictions imposed by the Government prevented local authorities from meeting the needs of the people? Will not the right hon. Gentleman look at the problem to see what he can do to help authorities which are compelled to reduce the numbers of houses which they build for their people?
§ Mr. BrookeThe Bristol City Council has, I understand, drastically cut its housing programme for reasons of its own. If the needs of Bristol require more building, then the remedy is in the. Council's own hands.
§ Mr. LindgrenWill not the right hon. Gentleman agree that if one takes the average cost of a local authority building as £1,750, the economic rent is 52s. 6d. a week, and that local authorities are not building because of the inability of incoming tenants to pay the rent?
§ Mr. BrookeI am not accepting any figures just put across the Floor of the House like that, but I know that most local authorities are helping to mitigate the rents of new houses by spreading the cost over their older houses.