§ 4. Mrs. Renée Shortasked the Minister of Housing and Local Government if he will now seek powers to set up a housing development authority able to acquire land from the Land Commission and to hand out building contracts in order to stimulate house building wherever this is required.
§ Mr. MellishNo, Sir. My right hon. Friend is well satisfied that local authorities can build the houses needed in the public sector and that building for owner occupation is equally going well.
§ Mrs. ShortBut does not my hon. Friend accept that some local authorities are not building as they ought to build, and does not he agree that part of the difficulty with the housing programme and with the supply of materials necessary for it is the fact that there is instability in the demand? Will he look at this again? I sent him a long memorandum and I was dissatisfied with his reply.
§ Mr. MellishIt may be that some local authorities are not doing as well as they 1394 could, but the Question is concerned with the setting up of a housing development authority to take over this work. With respect, I think that by the time it was set up and we got it organised, and it took over the land, we could have built a lot of houses.
§ Mr. William Pricerose—
§ Mrs. ShortIn view of the unsatisfactory nature of that reply, it is my intention to raise this on the Adjournment at the earliest opportunity.
§ Mr. SpeakerThe hon. Lady should note that she has cut out a supplementary question.