§ 8. Mr. Jannerasked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs what special action he is proposing to take to help local authorities in districts where there are many vacancies for men and women and where there is no housing accommodation available.
§ Mr. H. BrookeIt is for local authorities to assess the needs of their districts when considering their housing programmes. I am always ready to look sympathetically at any case where the authority thinks that it ought to build additional houses in order to meet a special and urgent housing need.
§ Mr. JannerIs the Minister aware that a report made recently showed that about a thousand vacancies were available for men and women in a place not very far from here, but that it also said that there was not the slightest chance of their being filled because of the acute 225 housing shortage? How can the Minister try to impress the House that he is dealing with the housing situation if such a state of affairs can exist in this place?
§ Mr. BrookePerhaps the hon. Member will let me have further information. The present situation is that I have told nearly every local authority in England and Wales that it can have the full programme it has asked for. If more houses are needed the initiative lies with the local authorities to ask for them.
§ Mr. J. GriffithsDid the Minister notice that in asking his supplementary question my hon. Friend referred to a place not far from here? Does not that illustrate the fact that industry is concentrated in these conurbations, where there is lack of housing accommodation, whereas in other parts of the country families are moving out, leaving accommodation empty?
§ Mr. BrookeI realise what the right hon. Gentleman has in mind, but he will know what the Government are doing in West South Wales—and doing successfully—to attract industry to these areas.