§ 3. Mr. Idris Owenasked the Secretary of State for the Environment to what extent he took account of the estimate of Shelter Organisation, a copy of which is in his possession, that slum clearance will take 204 years, in formulating his own estimate that all slums in England and Wales can be cleared within 10 years.
§ The Minister for Housing and Construction (Mr. Julian Amery)All relevant information available was taken into account.
§ Mr. OwenIs my right hon. Friend aware that my Question was asked in good faith but that it has since been ascertained from Shelter that this was a public relations exercise and more of a joke than a fact?
§ Mr. AmeryI am sure that any Question put down by my hon. Friend was asked in good faith. I thought that there was a public relations aspect to the Shelter campaign, but I am grateful to my hon. Friend for correcting me.
§ Mr. Simon MahonIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that there may be many corporation houses in this country empty in a very short period of time for many reasons, not least among them that people are finding it hard to pay the rent, and that there is dual and sometimes treble occupancy taking place once again in some areas?
§ Mr. AmeryThe rebate system which we are introducing under the Housing Finance Bill, the Second Reading of which was accepted the other day, will correct that position.