HC Deb 14 July 1970 vol 803 cc1334-7
1. Mr. Frank Allaun

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what steps he proposes to expand the council house building programme; and if he will include using the available compulsory powers under the Housing Act, 1957 where local authorities are cutting down their building programmes in areas of serious housing need.

The Minister of Housing and Local Government (Mr. Peter Walker)

In my review of finance and subsidies, I am studying how best to direct help to authorities in the greatest need to encourage them to undertake adequate programmes of slum clearance, improvement and new building for the homeless and the badly housed. I am not at present aware of any occasion for the exercise of default powers.

Mr. Allaun

I congratulate the right hon. Gentleman on his appointment. I appeal to him, now that he has become the Minister, to reconsider and to withdraw his advice to Conservative councils to reject the temptation to go on building houses, otherwise, half the population which depend on them, as they cannot buy houses on mortgage, will be without any hope at all.

Mr. Walker

I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman for his kind remarks. I have never made such a suggestion to Conservative councils. The hon. Gentleman knows that in the circular which I recently sent out to councils I urged all authorities with bad housing problems to continue providing council houses.

Mr. Tom Boardman

Will my right hon. Friend bear in mind that the cutbacks in housing made by many local authorities, such as Leicester, were at the express request of the then Labour Government during one of their economic crises?

Mr. Walker

There was certainly a request which affected certain areas. I do not know the details about Leicester.

Mr. Denis Howell

Whilst associating myself with the welcome to the right hon. Gentleman and also his conversion, if that is what it is, on the subject of council house building, may I ask him to comment on his speech to the Westminster Forum, which he did not deny when it was put to him, in which he said that the Conservatives, if elected, would put a curb on council house building? May we take it that that speech can now be forgotten and put into the wastepaper basket?

Mr. Walker

That misquotation of the speech can certainly be forgotten.

3. Mr. Blenkinsop

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government whether he will encourage local authorities to increase their building of houses both for rent and for sale.

Mr. Peter Walker

The Government have already announced their intention to refashion the housing subsidies so as to assist effectively local authorities to provide for the homeless and badly housed who cannot house themselves. Building for owner occupation is the function of private enterprise, and save in exceptional circumstances local authorities will not be permitted to build for sale.

Mr. Blenkinsop

I welcome that statement, but is the Minister aware of the anxiety being caused because of the past Conservative practice of severe cutbacks in local authority building? Will he do everything possible to ensure that that building goes ahead?

Mr. Walker

I am anxious to encourage the building of houses for those currently badly housed and living in bad conditions.

Sir Harmar Nicholls

Will my right hon. Friend remember that next to the availability of bank credit, which has been mentioned, the availability of land is the important factor in the private building sector? I hope that he will look at the zoning to see that land is available.

Mr. Walker

I agree with my hon. Friend that that is very much the base of the present housing problem, and already we are carrying out urgent talks on this subject.

7. Mrs. Renée Short

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what proposals he has for the future development of local authority housing; what targets of slum clearance and new building he proposes for each year: and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Peter Walker

As already announced the Government intends to refashion the subsidy system so as to concentrate help on those people and areas with the worst problems. I do not propose targets for the entire industry at this stage.

Mrs. Short

In opposition the Minister made a great deal of mileage out of the fact that in our five years of Government we had built only 500,000 more houses than the previous Tory Government built in their last five years. At the same time he was encouraging Tory housing committee chairmen to sabotage the nation's housing effort. There is no other word for it. Does he not think that the House, and, indeed, the nation, deserve a reply to this Question so that we can know what the Government are doing to help those families who are in need?

Mr. Walker

I can understand the hon. Lady regretting the targets of the previous Government. What I made a lot of mileage out of was the fact that in the last year of the previous Government fewer houses were built than in 1964.

Sir B. Rhys Williams

Has not the time come to recognise that the whole policy of segregating people physically on council estates is socially divisive and a mistake? Would it not be better in future to subsidise families and not the houses?

Mr. Walker

That is a matter which will generally be considered in our review of the whole housing subsidy system.