§ 1. Mr. William Hamiltonasked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many houses were completed in the new towns in 1964; how many were started; and what are the comparable figures for the first quarter of 1965.
§ The Under-Secretary of State for Scotland (Dr. J. Dickson Mabon)In 1964, 2,609 houses were completed in the Scottish new towns and 3,435 were started. Figures for the first quarter of 1965 are 855 completions and 357 starts, and these compare with 696 completions and 783 starts in the first quarter of 1964.
§ Mr. HamiltonDo the Government intend substantially to increase the number of starts this year compared with last year, and are the new town development corporations pioneering in the development of industrialised building?
§ Dr. MabonLast year Cumbernauld and East Kilbride completed more than 1,000 new houses and we hope that this 580 year that performance will be matched by Glenrothes. The new towns are certainly taking a strong lead in the use of industrialised house building techniques and I am hopeful that output in 1965 will be greater than in 1964.
§ Mr. NobleWould the hon. Gentleman confirm that the apparently somewhat disappointing number of starts this year does not in any way reflect the number of new projects going to the new towns?
§ Dr. MabonThat is right. The number of houses under construction at the end of March was 4,000 compared with 3,800 a year earlier.