HC Deb 26 January 1972 vol 829 cc1379-82
22. Mr. Skinner

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he is now in a position to give the total num ber of houses built in the public sector for 1971 together with the comparative total for 1970 and 1969.

29. Mr. William Hamilton

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many new houses were completed in the public sector in 1971; how many were started: and what steps he is taking to increase these numbers in the current year.

Mr. Amery

No, Sir. The figures for 1971 will not be available until 31st January.

Mr. Skinner

I can understand the Minister's reluctance to get the figures out. Does he realise that these figures, when published, will show that council-house building will be the lowest for a decade? Does not that make an utter farce of what the Prime Minister said on Monday about retraining to get the unemployment level down, when there are 147,000 trained, ready and able construction workers who, if given the chance, would be off the labour exchanges and building the houses which the country needs?

Mr. Amery

I do not think the hon. Gentleman can have read the figures which were published this morning, showing that new orders for public-sector housing in November were 45.3 per cent. higher than in October, 1971 and 47.5 per cent. higher than in November, 1970. These are welcome statistics, which I am sure the hon. Gentleman will join me in welcoming.

Mr. Tebbit

Would my right hon Friend care to remind us all that one local authority in Surrey has recently had to postpone a council-house building programme because of a lack of building workers and that there are very few people who seriously believe this grossly inflated figure of unemployed persons in the building industry?

Mr. Amery

My hon. Friend is perfectly right in the sense that both the employers and the trade unions tell me that there is a serious shortage of skilled men in many parts of the country and that our programme is in some danger of overheating the industry.

Mr. Simon Mahon

Is the Minister aware that a very modest improvement in the employment figures could take place if society generally took advantage of the improvement grants which are available? Local authorities are becoming anxious and tenants who are eager to improve their property are becoming anxious. Is not the date for completion of June, 1973, completely artificial? Will the Minister take account of the views which I have expressed?

Mr. Amery

Much more certainly could be done on the improvement side. However, the improvement figures are nearly 100 per cent. better than those for last year. Naturally I would welcome any additional support which the hon. Gentleman can give in his constituency and throughout the country.

Mr. Simon Mahon

What about the date?

25. Mr. Carter

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many houses were built in the period from November, 1970 to November, 1971.

Mr. Amery

375,500 were completed in Great Britain in the period of 13 months from 1st November, 1970, to 30th November, 1971.

Mr. Carter

Are not those deplorably low figures when set against our desperate housing need? In view of the unemployment in the construtcion industry, is not the time ripe for the Government to present the House with a programme of massive urban renewal?

Mr. Amery

The hon. Gentleman is absolutely right in saying that the figures are disappointing. He will appreciate that completions up to the early months of 1971 depended on starts undertaken before the General Election, so I do not think there is a party issue between us. I have already said, in answer to the hon. Member for Bolsover (Mr. Skinner), that public-sector building is improving. Private-sector building is booming. I shall be able to make a further statement on 31st January when we have the final figures for the year. I do not think that those will be discouraging.

Mr. Crosland

Even though the public-sector picture may look slightly brighter now, on the basis of the orders only, taking the number of starts, which is the most critical figure, is it not the case that in the third quarter of last year—the last quarter for which we have figures—starts were 18 per cent. below those for the third quarter of 1970 and, as far as I can trace, lower than in any quarter since 1961? Is not that deplorable?

Mr. Amery

The hon. Gentleman seems determined to look a gift horse in the mouth. I hope that he will await the figures which are due to be published on 31st January. Meanwhile, I hope that he will join me in rejoicing at the improvement which is taking place in slum clearance.