HC Deb 13 November 1962 vol 667 cc183-4
20 and 21. Mr. Brockway

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs (1) if he will take steps to grant financial aid to local authorities in order that they may make provision for young married people who cannot obtain accommodation suitable to a home life;

(2) if he will send a circular to local authorities proposing that they should build bungalows for newly-weds to enable them to begin their married lives under conditions where children would be permitted and have opportunities for healthy growth; and if he will take steps to grant financial aid for this purpose.

Sir K. Joseph

It is not for me to tell local authorities whether they should build for one class of applicants on their waiting lists rather than another. Each authority must settle its own housing priorities, taking account of all needs, including those of newly-weds. All houses approved under the Housing Act, 1961, attract subsidy whatever the purpose for which they are provided.

Mr. Brockway

Despite the rather negative character of that reply, does the right hon. Gentleman realise that I appreciate the letter which he has sent to me on this problem? May I ask whether he has yet reached a decision on the proposal, which has been made from both sides of the House, that he should consult with the local authorities and the building societies with a view to facilitating the deposits and mortgage interest rates for the purchase of houses by newly-weds? Secondly, while recognising that all human needs must be taken into account by local authorities, does he not regard it as important for the future of our nation that as much attention should be paid to young married people as is being paid to older people?

Sir K. Joseph

Yes, certainly I do. But the problem in the hon. Gentleman's constituency is likely to be more that of land than either of these issues. His constituency has enough land for the immediate future, but land is far more likely to be a limiting factor than the factors he is discussing.

Mr. Longden

May I ask my right hon. Friend if his attention has been drawn to a scheme which has been devised and successfully carried out by the Bushy Urban District Council to meet this problem, and, if not, may I send him particulars of it?

Sir K. Joseph

Yes, gladly. My hon. Friend's intervention goes to show that it lies within the initiative of local authorities to take considerable steps to help in the sort of problem to which the hon. Gentleman referred.

Mr. Brockway

Will the right hon. Gentleman reply to the specific question which I put to him and which he ignored?

Sir K. Joseph

Yes, I will, of course. I am not trying to avoid anything. The building societies can lend only the money that they raise, and that has a large effect on the interest charges that they have to apply. Local authorities have power to lend money and, as the intervention of my hon. Friend the Member for Hertfordshire, South-West (Mr. Longden) shows, many of them have used it extremely constructively.