HC Deb 14 October 1969 vol 788 cc178-80
5. Mr. Allason

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government how many houses he now estimates will be completed during the course of 1969.

9. Mr. Peter Walker

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government when he will next publish an estimate of the number of houses to be completed in 1969.

51. Mr. Hunt

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what is his latest estimate of the total of housing completions for 1969.

The Minister of Housing and Local Government (Mr. Anthony Greenwood)

The number of dwellings under construction is still at a high level. Since the effect of weather and the strength of market demand in the private sector is variable at this time of the year, it is not possible to forecast how many of them will be brought to completion by 31st December, but completions in the year will not be up to the record figure achieved last year.

Mr. Allason

Is not that last statement somewhat of an understatement? As in the first eight months of this year 32,000 fewer houses were completed than in 1968, what does the right hon. Gentleman intend to do about this? Will he have a sense of urgency in his housing programme or will he remain complacent, holding to the idea that by 1973 there will be a surplus of houses?

Mr. Greenwood

I assure the hon. Gentleman that I certainly have a sense of urgency. That is why we have achieved, and shall achieve this year, a much higher figure of completions than the average of 310,000 a year during the last five years of Conservative rule.

Mr. Walker

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that this year we shall be well below 100,000 less than the target promised the country by the Prime Minsister? Has the right hon. Gentleman nothing to offer in the face of the ever-declining housing programme both in the number of starts and completions? Does he intend to continue to be complacent like this?

Mr. Greenwood

I hope that the hon. Gentleman and his hon. Friends will give us help in achieving what is required, although I read in The Sun on 6th October that, speaking at a conference in June, the hon. Gentleman said: I hope Conservative councils will take great care to resist the temptation to go on building council houses"— [HON. MEMBERS: "Shame."]— for all sorts of seemingly good purposes.

Mr. Hunt

Is not the admission which the Minister has just made a sad commentary on the priorities of Socialism? Will he try to appreciate what this housing shortfall will mean in terms of shattered hopes and broken homes?

Mr. Greenwood

I assure the hon. Gentleman that I am well aware of the urgency and, indeed, of the heart-breaking nature of the housing problem. I hope that he will be comforted by the fact that before the end of this year 2 million houses will have been completed under Labour.

Mr. Heffer

Would not my right hon. Friend agree that the cutting down of council house building proves that Conservatives have their priorities wrong? Is he aware that certain large city councils such as Liverpool City Council are now deciding to bring in smaller house building programmes and are using the excellent 1969 housing Measure as an excuse for taking this step?

Mr. Greenwood

I am obliged to my hon. Friend for those remarks. He is right in saying that a number of local authorities seem to be falling down on the job. A later Question appears on the Order Paper for today. I am pursuing this matter with the local authorities concerned and I am proposing to see in the near future those which appear to be the most serious backsliders.

Mr. Walker

Can the right hon. Gentleman explain why the building programmes of even a few Socialist councils are declining?

Mr. Greenwood

One reason why I have declined to give a list is because I know that there are particular factors in the case of certain local authorities, including certain Conservative local authorities. I appreciate that there are difficulties in the way of the house building programme, but there are also ideological reasons in some cases for house building being cut down; and I am afraid that those elements are being encouraged by everything that hon. Gentlemen opposite say.

30. Mr. Boyd-Carpenter

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government how many homes have been completed in Great Britain this year up to the latest convenient date; and what were the figures for the same period last year.

Mr. Greenwood

I refer the right hon. Member to the Answer given to my hon. Friend the Member for Salford, East (Mr. Frank Allaun) on 13th October.

Mr. Boyd-Carpenter

How does the right hon. Gentleman, except by adopting his colleague's technique of putting the blame on someone else, reconcile those figures at the end of five years of Labour Government with the unqualified pledges which were given for a great expansion in house building?

Mr. Greenwood

I am sorry that the right hon. Gentleman was not listening to earlier answers on this subject. The number of houses completed over the last five years has been far in excess of what it was under the Conservative Government. At the moment there are 460,000 houses under construction compared with 434,000 at the end of 1964.

Mr. Rankin

As the Question refers to Great Britain, can my right hon. Friend give us the relevant figure for Scotland?

Mr. Greenwood

I am afraid not without notice.