§ 21. Mr. Allasonasked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what figure of completions of houses will be required in 1967, 1968 and 1969 if there is to be orderly progression to a figure of 500,000 houses in 1970.
§ Mr. MellishProgress towards 500,000 houses in 1970 will depend to a large degree on performance in the private sector. My right hon. Friend is not prepared to make any forecasts on what figures will be reached in particular years.
§ Mr. AllasonIs it not desirable to have an orderly progression forward rather than to hope for the best? Is it not in 210 the interests of the construction industry that it should have a target to work to year by year, and should it not be a very much better target than the figures which it is getting at the moment?
§ Mr. MellishIt is interesting to hear hon. Gentlemen opposite talking about planning. For the first time we have given local authorities long-term programmes on their side of the industry, and I have no doubt that our targets for 1970 will be reached. We have now to ensure that funds are available to the building societies to enable them to give money to the private contractors who I believe are ready and able to do a first-class job.
§ Sir G. NabarroIs it not a fact that no real progress can be made towards these target figures unless drastic steps are taken to employ the 1,000 million bricks lying surplus on the floor at the present time, all due to the ineffectiveness of Government policy?
§ Mr. MellishThe hon. Gentleman has been out of the House for quite some time, and he is trying to make his name again. He will be unaware of the fact that last year 385,000 houses were built in this country, which is the highest figure ever known in the history of the country.
§ Mr. RipponIs the hon. Gentleman aware that it is inaccurate to say that his Government have given local authorities firm long-term programmes for the first time? Would he agree that if he had carried forward with his Government the firm long-term programmes which the Conservative Government provided we would have had 500,000 houses this year?
§ Mr. MellishIf the right hon. and learned Gentleman believes that, he will believe anything. The truth is that we have given to 140 priority areas where slum content and over-crowding is there to be seen three-year and four-year programmes for the first time in their history. We are establishing progress chasing to ensure that they keep to the targets, and by 1970 we will prove that we have done a first-class job.
§ Mr. C. PannellIs my hon. Friend aware that in the last year during which the right hon. and learned Member for Hexham (Mr. Rippon) was Minister we could not build houses because we had run out of bricks?