HC Deb 14 July 1970 vol 803 cc1355-6
27. Mr. Costain

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what forecast he has made of the anticipated number of starts and completions of houses in 1970.

Mr. Channon

Starts in the first five months of 1970 were over 18,000 fewer than in the first five months of 1969, and completions were over 6,000 fewer. The figures for the year as a whole may be worse than those for 1969.

Mr. Costain

Is my hon. Friend aware that that confirms my worst fears and that when the Labour Party were in power I pointed this out but that hon. Gentlemen opposite merely laughed? Is he aware that the building industry now has the highest unemployment in recent memory? What does he hope to do to get things going again satisfactorily in the industry?

Mr. Channon

I entirely agree with my hon. Friend about this being an extremely worrying situation. We are doing all we can to reverse this trend. We are also concerned with the inflation in house prices that we have inherited.

Mr. Freeson

Would the hon. Gentleman accept that one contribution to resolving this problem might be to allow the 20 or more local authorities which wish to build houses for sale to go ahead and do so?

Mr. Channon

The hon. Gentleman knows perfectly well that that would not be a solution to the problem which has been outlined.