HC Deb 09 May 1963 vol 677 cc652-4
25. Dame Irene Ward

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs if he will publish details of the five-year building programmes agreed for the 38 local authorities included in the special slum clearance drive.

Sir K. Joseph

I will, with permission, circulate the details in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

In total, the agreed programmes which the local authorities concerned hope to achieve represent, over the next five years, a doubling of the rate at which these authorities have built over the past three years. In some instances authorities are planning to treble their recent average annual completion of houses.

These programmes are, I believe, realistic both individually and in total, and I intend to keep them under review, in the light of progress, with the aim of increasing the pace if that proves practicable.

Dame Irene Ward

Will my right hon. Friend accept my appreciation for the initiative that he has taken? At the same time, does he not agree that it would be a good idea to let hon. Members have a list of the local authorities which have made good progress with their slum clearance drives, in view of the fact that quite a number have done so without any stimulation, but simply because they are good administrative local authorities?

Sir K. Joseph

These figures are published in a regular form and I hope that the local people will draw their own conclusions about the performances of their local authorities.

Mr. P. Williams

Can my right hon. Friend say how much these figures take into account the possible introduction of new methods of industrialised house building?

Sir K. Joseph

I do not think that these figures give much hostage to fortune in that way. Some benefit can already be drawn from the grouping of authorities and the large ordering which is now being made possible by individual ones on account of the five-year authority I am giving.

Dame Irene Ward

Would it not be a good idea to let Parliament and the world know when we have good local authorities, as opposed to bad ones?

LOCAL AUTHORITY BUILDING PROGRAMMES
— *Average annual completions (for Average annual three years ending 31st December, 1962) Proposed building rate next five years Programme over next five Years
REGION 1:
Gateshead C.B.C. … … 219 1,000
Middlesbrough C.B.C. … … 453 600
Newcastle-upon-Tyne C.B.C. … … 1,046 1,500
Stockton-on-Tees B.C. … … 352 400
Bishop Auckland U.D.C. … … 68 300
Chester-le-Street … … 132 275
Ennerdale R.D.C. … … 46 250
Total … … 2,316 4,325
REGION 2:
Halifax C.B.C. … … 107 560
Kingston-upon-Hull C.B.C. … … 730 920
Leeds C.B.C. … … 2,015 2,745
Sheffield C.B.C. … … 1,316 2,010 (4 years)
Wakefield C.B.C. … … 178 400
York C.B.C. … … 269 300 (6 years)
Balley B.C. … … 157 400 (6 years)
Brighouse B.C. … … 55 100
Todmorden B.C … … Nil 100
Colne Valley U.D.C. … … 7 50
Wombwell U.D.C. … … 18 100
Total … … 4,852 7,685
REGION 9:
Birmingham C.B.C. … … 2,109 3,180
Smethwick C.B.C. … … 239 543 (6 years)
Stoke-on-Trent C.B.C. … … 162 1,000
Total … … 2,510 4,723
REGION 10:
Birkenhead C.B.C. … … 643 750
Blackburn C.B.C. … … 147 500
Bolton C.B.C. … … 111 260
Bootle C.B.C. … … 208 600
Chester C.B.C. … … 276 400
Liverpool C.B.C. … … 1,803 5,000
Manchester C.B.C. … … 1,712 4,000
Oldham C.B.C. … … 341 1,000
Preston C.B.C. … … 343 600
Rochdale C.B.C. … … 111 400
St. Helens C.B.C. … … 268 450
Salford C.B.C. … … 362 1,500
Stockport C.B.C. … … 292 500
Bacup B.C. … … 34 100
Macclesfield B.C. … … 125 600
Rawtenstall B.C. … … 54 200
Stalybridge B.C. … … 107 175
Total … … 6,937 17,035
GRAND TOTAL … … 16,615 33,768
* Excluding building by housing associations.
Sir K. Joseph

Yes, but it is not as easy as that, because many local authorities have difficulties that others do not have. Thus, this cannot be easily presented in simple one-word answers.

Following are the details: