§ 11. Mr. William Hamiltonasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what new plans he has for encouraging home ownership.
§ The Minister for Housing and Construction (Mr. Julian Amery)I hope to make a statement before very long.
§ Mr. HamiltonDoes that mean before Easter? The right hon. Gentleman has been working on this for a very long time without producing any results, apart from flogging off council houses.
§ Mr. AmeryI hope that when I make my statement the hon. Gentleman will be generous enough to accept that I will have done more in a few weeks than his Government did in six years.
§ Mr. AlisonHas my right hon. Friend noted the serious fall in house building in the private sector? For example, in 1970 there was a drop of 22 per cent. over the figure of 218,000 houses built in 1964. Does he agree that it is urgent for us to get the house building going again?
§ Mr. AmeryMy hon. Friend is right. We need to approach this matter with a sense of urgency. The unsatisfactory figures today are, of course, the direct result of the number of starts begun under the Labour Government.
§ Mr. CroslandWhen the right hon. Gentleman comes to announce his plans for encouraging home ownership, will he apply to this sector the same principle as he is applying to other sectors; namely, that help should be given according to need?
§ Mr. AmeryWe have always taken the view that help should be given according to need. The option mortgage subsidy scheme is a good example of this. Where potential owners are not in a position to claim tax relief, they are able to get this subsidy.