§ 30. Mr. Hugh Jenkinsasked the Minister of Housing and Local Government how many houses Wandsworth Borough Council built in 1969; and what measures he is taking to encourage a better performance in 1970.
§ Mr. FreesonIn 1969 Wandsworth Council placed 1,565 houses into tender, started 1,073 houses and completed 991 houses. It has been urged to do even better, but as with some other inner London boroughs, this will be difficult without more help from the G.L.C. in providing housing land in Outer London to ease decanting problems from clearance areas.
§ Mr. JenkinsIs it not the case that, now that my right hon. Friend has wisely prevented the G.L.C. from lumbering Wandsworth Borough Council with a lot of run-down housing estates, it will be better able to concentrate its attention on new housing?
§ Mr. FreesonCertainly we shall wish to see Wandsworth and many other boroughs building more houses. One of the most important factors influencing the position in Inner London is the unavailability of housing land for municipal development to ease the pressure on areas requiring demolition in inner London.
§ Mr. RossiIs the Minister aware that more than three times more houses were completed by the Wandsworth Borough Council in 1969, the first full year of Conservative control, than were completed in 1967, the last full year of Labour control?
§ Mr. FreesonThe hon. Gentleman is misinterpreting my answers. I have criticised not Wandsworth but the G.L.C. for not making land available in Outer London by purchase to assist Wands-worth and other boroughs.
§ Mr. FreesonI will answer the specific point. Completions achieved in the first full year of Conservative rule, as in any other borough, depended on starts being made by the Conservatives' predecessors.
§ Mr. MolloyOn a point or order. Throughout all the questions on housing 230 concerning the London boroughs there were no supplementary questions, with one exception, put by Conservative hon. Members. The unwholesome and embarrassing burden has been left to the hon. Member for Hornsey (Mr. Rossi). Is that fair on him, Mr. Speaker?
§ Mr. SpeakerThat is not a point of order, and it is a waste of Question Time.
§ Sir W. Bromley-DavenportOn a point of order——
§ Mr. SpeakerOrder. Points of order at Question Time waste valuable time.
§ Sir W. Bromley-DavenportFurther to that point of order, which was not a point of order, may I now rise on a point of order? It will be within the recollection of this House that the last Speaker said that anyone who raised a bogus point of order was cheating. What sanction have you, Mr. Speaker? Can you debar that human gargoyle from asking any questions?
§ Mr. SpeakerOrder. I would have to bar both hon Members who have just spoken.