HC Deb 17 February 1965 vol 706 cc1182-4
27. Mr. Brewis

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the percentage decrease in new local authority houses started in the fourth quarter of 1964 and the same period in 1963.

43. Mr. James Hamilton

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will state the percentage decrease in new houses started by local authorities in the final quarter of 1964 and the same quarter of 1963; and what were the reasons for the decrease.

Mr. Ross

Almost 27 per cent. This was due to a drop in the number of tenders approved between March and October, 1964.

Mr. Brewis

Can the right hon. Gentleman give the House an assurance that in the first quarter of this year, when the Labour Government will have been in power for a complete quarter, there will not be a similar drop in starts for new local authority houses? Before he gives this assurance, will he remember that many assurances given during the election have not been kept?

Mr. Ross

I cannot give the hon. Gentleman that assurance, for the simple reason that the starts on houses are related to the tenders approved, and tenders are submitted and approved about six months before, so the failure to approve tenders, whatever the reason may have been, six months before determined the fact that there was a drop of 27 per cent. in the last quarter of 1964.

Mr. Hamilton

Fully conscious of the window-dressing by the last Government on the eve of the General Election, can my right hon. Friend now give us the figures for the second and third quarters of 1964, and can he also give us the figures since he took office?

Mr. Ross

I can tell my hon. Friend that the hon. Gentleman seems to be upset by a decline in starts in the last quarter of 1964, which was 27 per cent., but if he had asked for the quarter before, the decline compared with 1963 was 29.4 per cent., and in the quarter before that it was 2.4 per cent.

With regard to the last part of my hon. Friend's supplementary question, I can assure him that the tenders approved in the last quarter of 1964, for which we have some responsibility, were the highest for 10 years.

28. Mr. Brewis

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland why 11,144 new houses were completed in the last quarter of 1964, but only 7,519 started.

44. Dr. Miller

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland why work on only 7,519 houses was commenced in the last quarter of 1964; and what steps he is taking to improve on this.

Mr. Ross

Construction of public authority houses begins on an average some five months after the tenders have been approved. Tenders for only 9,000 houses were approved in the six months between March and October, 1964, whereas more than 15,000 were approved in the same period of 1963. I am glad to say that during the last three months of 1964 tenders for 9,857 houses were approved and I am giving public authorities every possible encouragement to build houses.

Mr. Brewis

Has the right hon. Gentleman noticed that in this quarter there was a considerable increase in the number of houses completed by housing associations? As he and his hon. Friends were lukewarm about the assistance to be given to housing associations when the Housing Act of 1962 was being discussed, can he say whether he is going to encourage private enterprise building such as this, or whether he is going to try to strangle it as the last Labour Government did?

Mr. Ross

The hon. Gentleman's memory is at fault if he is recalling the speeches that I made on the subject of housing corporations. I gave them every encouragement, and, as I have said at this Box, I continue to do so.

Dr. Miller

Would not my right hon. Friend agree that the reduction in the number of houses commenced in the last quarter is a clear indication that the last Administration was much more concerned about planning the election than with getting on with the building of houses, and that the position now outlined by him is much more encouraging indeed?

Mr. Ross

The tenders approved in the second quarter of last year were the lowest for 10 years. The tenders approved by this Administration in the last quarter were the highest for 10 years.