§ 30. Mr. Leonardasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what reply has been sent to the letter addressed to the Minister of Local Government and Development, on 15th December, 1970, by Mrs. B. Whitworth and others, requesting a local public inquiry into housing provision in the London borough of Havering.
§ The Under-Secretary of State for the Environment (Mr. Paul Channon)Mrs. Whitworth's letter was received on 15th January, 1971. The reply has been delayed because of the Post Office strike, but my right hon. Friend is considering the matter urgently.
§ Mr. LeonardI hope that the Secretary of State will bear in mind the urgency of the matter, which has been pending for very much longer than the hon. Gentleman stated, particularly in view of the disastrous collapse of the house-building programme in the London Borough of Havering, the failure of the borough council to undertake a fully comprehensive survey of the housing needs of the borough, and its failure to make further provision to assist the overall housing problem of the metropolis as a whole.
§ Mr. ChannonI certainly cannot comment on what the hon. Gentleman says. He is asking for an inquiry into these matters. My right hon. Friend has to make a decision on that application. The hon. Gentleman talks about delays. I agree that this has gone on far too long, but, unfortunately, the complainants indicated in September that they wished to comment further and it was not until January that we received a letter.