Local Authority Houses (Programme)

HC Deb 31 May 1960 vol 624 cc1145-8

1. Mr. Fernyhough

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs the number of council houses he expects local authorities to build during 1960.

The Minister of Housing and Local Government (Mr. Henry Brooke)

It is too soon to make a reliable estimate, but at 31st March public authorities had 119,000 houses under construction, which was 12,000 more than a year before.

Mr. Fernyhough

Does the right hon. Gentleman remember taking part in a party political broadcast on 30th April in which he urged councils to speed up the building of flats, flatlets and bungalows and said that in a good many places we needed more council houses? Can he explain how it is that he is not getting this co-operation from the local authorities? Can the right hon. Gentleman tell the House why it should be that since he became Minister of Housing and Local Government the number of council houses built has been going down year by year? Is he satisfied to see the figures dwindling when millions of people are still living in these uncivilised conditions to which they are condemned?

Mr. Brooke

I am getting co-operation from the vast majority of local authorities, with the exception of a few. Perhaps the hon. Gentleman failed to hear me say that there are 12,000 more houses under construction now than a year ago.

Mr. P. Williams

Can my right hon. Friend also give any estimate of the number of private houses being built in the current year?

Mr. Brooke

That is a different question.

Mr. M. Stewart

Has the right hon. Gentleman noticed that the number of council houses started in the first quarter of this year is about 9,000 less than the number started in the first quarter of last year and that the number of all houses started in the first quarter of this year is some 3,000 less than for the corresponding quarter of last year? Does he regard these figures as satisfactory?

Mr. Brooke

I did note those figures. I note that this year well over 300,000 houses are likely to be built in Great Britain, and I think that a very similar number will be completed next year.

15. Mr. Warbey

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs on what date he adopted the policy of restricting local authority housing programmes for 1960 to approximately the same level as in 1959.

Mr. H. Brooke

I have taken no decision to restrict the programmes of individual local authorities to the same level as last year. My general aim is to agree programmes that are reasonable in the circumstances of the authority concerned.

Mr. Warbey

Can the right hon. Gentleman explain why the Kirkby-in-Ashfield Urban District Council received a letter last December from his Department saying that Consideration has recently been given to the housing programme for 1960 and it has now been decided that this should be roughly the same as in 1959"? It added these words: No official circular is being issued on this occasion Why is the right hon. Gentleman not prepared to come clean and to make a public statement of his policy instead of adopting this undercover way of attempting to impose new restrictions on local authorities?

Mr. Brooke

I have just made a public statement of my policy and stated it to Parliament. The local authority which the hon. Member mentions has had approved by me a programme for 1960 more than 50 per cent. higher that it had in 1959.

Mr. Warbey

May I take the opportunity of thanking the right hon. Gentleman for the action of his Department in increasing my local authority's housing allocation on the day after I put this Question down?

Mr. Brooke

It was not related to the Question. It was related to some additional information which became available, which indicated that the local authority could manage a larger programme.

Mr. M. Stewart

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that what it adds up to is this: that a letter was sent to my hon. Friend's local authority of a character which indicated that it was the Ministry's general policy not to allow more building to be started this year than last; that that was the policy which he adopted, while being coy about putting it in a public circular, in December; that in February he said to me, in the course of debate, that the building of council houses was on the upgrade, although he knew that he had taken action to see that it should not be; that the figures for this year show that the starts of council houses are in fact on the downgrade compared with last year; and, finally, that he made this concession to my hon. Friend's local authority, out of line with the general policy which he has indicated, immediately after a Question was put down? Does he think that that does not show a certain lack of candour in the matter?

Mr. Brooke

What the hon. Member said is a travesty of the facts. I have stated my policy. I have stated that I have taken no decision to restrict the programmes of local authorities to the same level as last year. What I have done with regard to the local authority which has been mentioned proves the truth of that.