27. Mr. Bob Brownasked the Minister of Housing and Local Government if he will state the number of houses started and completed and the numbers covered by contract in Newcastle-upon-Tyne on behalf of the city council and by private builders in the current year; and what is his estimate of completions by the end of the year.
§ Mr. MacCollAs the answer contains a number of figures, I will, with permission, circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
Mr. BrownWould my hon. Friend agree that, with a waiting list of 7,000 and completions not looking anything like last year's figure, it is regrettable that the Newcastle City Council should have embarked on a policy of selling council houses?
§ Mr. MacCollCertainly I do not think that Newcastle would be wise to sell council houses.
The following is the information:In the first ten months of 1967 1,257 dwellings were started and 737 completed in Newcastle-upon-Tyne for the city council. Corresponding figures for private owners were 26 dwellings started and 26 completed.The number of dwellings covered by contract is not available. However at the end of October 1967 2,134 dwellings were under construction for the city council and a further 201 were in tenders approved but had not been started; 301 dwellings were under construction for private owners.I cannot provide a worthwhile estimate of how many of the 2,435 dwellings under construction in Newcastle-upon-Tyne at the end of October 1967 will be completed in the next two months.