HC Deb 26 January 1972 vol 829 cc1373-4
14. Mr. O'Halloran

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what further capital investment plans he will now bring forward in order to provide employment in the building industry; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Amery

I cannot anticipate what further measures the Government might take to stimulate employment to this end.

Mr. O'Halloran

That is a disappointing answer. Will the right hon. Gentleman bear in mind the suggestion that he should approach local authorities with a view to bringing forward council-house building programmes by six months in view of the fact that 147,000 building workers are unemployed, over 10,000 of them in the London area, where we have the greatest housing stress?

Mr. Amery

I draw the attention of the hon. Gentleman to the statement made by the Chairman of the National Federation of Building Trades Employers in which he said: Confidence is returning to the building industry not least because of the successive steps which have been taken by the Government to promote increased activity. Had the hon. Gentleman had time to read this morning's newspapers he would have read that building in public-sector housing is up by over 40 per cent. compared with November last year.

Mr. Costain

Does my right hon. Friend appreciate that more employment could be forthcoming in the building industry if there were a speeding up of planning consents and office development permission?

Mr. Amery

I assure my hon. Friend that the Department of the Environment is very conscious of this problem and speeds things up as much as possible.

Mr. Freeson

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that in the statement of the Chairman of the National Federation of Building Trades Employers from which he quoted there was no reference to local authority house building, which is the subject of this Question? Is he aware of the major reduction in housing starts by local authorities and that he has powers under Section 91 of the Housing Act, 1957 to do what my hon. Friends have been asking him to do? Will he please use them?

Mr. Amery

There is a Question a little later on the Order Paper, on which I shall be able to show the hon. Gentleman that public-sector housing is very much improving in comparison with last year.