§ 25. Mr. Willeyasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what has been the increase in the index of average prices of new private houses from the end of the second quarter of 1970 to the latest available date.
§ Mr. ChannonThe latest available information, up to and including the first quarter of 1971, relating to new dwellings mortgaged by private owners is published in Table 50 of Housing Statistics No. 21 (May, 1971), a copy of which is in the Library.
§ Mr. WilleyWill the Minister kindly give me the figure? Does it not reveal 1439 that the situation is worse even than the Minister of Agriculture suggested? This is a shocking state of affairs. What will the Minister do about it?
§ Mr. ChannonAs the Minister responsible for setting up the Land Commission, the right hon. Gentleman may be interested to know that last year, for example, private sector land prices rose by 2 per cent. whilst during the period when his party was in power they went up by 24 per cent.
Mr. Bob BrownIn view of the indecent haste with which builders rushed to increase house prices as a result of the introduction of S.E.T., will the Minister say by how much house prices should be reduced subsequent to the reduction by half of S.E.T., and will he insist on builders reducing their prices?
§ Mr. ChannonIn local authority contracts there is a tax fluctuation clause, as a result of which in many cases prices will come down by up to £60.
§ Mr. WilleyIn view of the failure of the Minister to reveal the state of affairs, and in view of his misleading reply, I beg to give notice that I shall raise this matter on the Adjournment at the earliest opportunity.