HC Deb 14 March 1961 vol 636 cc1173-4
19. Mr. Frank Allaun

asked the Minister of Works if he will state the proportion of the building industry's resources devoted to council-house building and office building, respectively, today, and 10 years ago.

Lord John Hope

In 1960, the proportion of the building and civil engineering industries resources devoted to building council houses is estimated at 10 per cent. and for offices at between 2 per cent. and 3 per cent. In 1950, the proportion for council houses is estimated at 20 per cent.; the figure for offices was 1 per cent.

Mr. Allaun

Do not those figures show —and, in any case, is it not manifest—that while office building is soaring, particularly in London, Manchester and other cities, council-house building has been slashed by the Government's policy, thus leaving in a hopeless condition hundreds of thousands of families who cannot afford to buy their own homes? Will the Government, therefore, revise their priorities?

Lord John Hope

Revision is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Minister of Housing, but I would not have thought that the hon. Member was wise to use those figures for criticising the Government's housing policy. The point is that 26 per cent. of the resources of the industry are still being used for building houses.

Mr. M. Stewart

Does the Minister think that it shows a proper sense of values that we should, apparently, be regarding council-house building as only half as important as it was ten years ago, and office building as being twice as important? Looking at that situation, does the Minister regard it as reasonable?

Lord John Hope

To start with, the hon. Member has his figures all wrong. The number of local authority houses completed in 1960 was 125,000 as against about 164,000 in 1950, so his remark about office building being twice as important is quite irrelevant.

Mr. Russell

Would my right hon. Friend not agree that there has been a great demand from hon. Members opposite, in particular, for better office accommodation? Do we not have to take the rough with the smooth?

Lord John Hope

My right hon. Friend's housing policy has done both, with remarkable success.