19. Mr. Clifford Williamsasked the Secretary of State for Wales how many houses were completed in Wales in the last two years; and how this compares with earlier years.
§ Mr. Ifor Davies38,884 houses were build during the two years 1965 and 1966, representing a 34 per cent, higher annual rate of output than in the five years 1960 to 1964.
Mr. WilliamsI must congratulate my hon. Friend on the remarkable progress made in the building of houses in Wales. May I, however, ask him how the annual rate of output since the present Government took office in 1964 compares with the rate of output of the previous Government for the preceding 13 years?
§ Mr. DaviesThe short answer, on which I would like to say a great deal, is 50 per cent.
20. Mr. Clifford Williamsasked the Secretary of State for Wales what progress has been made in Wales in recent months in the building of private houses.
§ Mr. Ifor DaviesThe latest figures of both starts and completions show a substantial growth in private building in recent months.
§ Mr. DaviesI think that the answer is, "Very favourably".
§ Sir E. BoyleBefore this society of mutual admiration gets out of hand, would the hon. Gentleman have anything to say about the fact that £5.6 million worth of school building was approved by the previous Government for 1965 but only £2.3 million worth was started?
§ Mr. SpeakerOrder. Ingenious though the right hon. Member is in coming into Wales, his supplementary is wide of the Question.