§ 3. Mr. Roy Hughesasked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list those local authorities in Wales which sold council houses in the past 12 months showing how many houses were involved with each respective local authority.
§ 6. Mr. McBrideasked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will now announce the total sales of council houses and flats in Wales from 1st July, 1970, to the nearest convenient date, naming the local authorities which have agreed to sell such houses, with the number of such houses sold by local authorities which have agreed to sell houses or flats and the local authorities which have decided not to sell their houses or flats.
§ Mr. Gibson-WattI have been notified of the sale of 642 council dwellings between 1st July, 1970, and 31st January, 1972; 548 were sold during the last twelve months of that period. Details will be circulated in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
Local authorities are not required to inform me of their policies on the sale of council houses.
§ Mr. HughesIs the hon. Gentleman aware that the number of local authorities
| Local Authority | Built pre-war | Built post-war | Total | Total | Grand Total | |||
| 1.7.70–31.1.71 | 1.2.71–31.1.72 | 1.7.70–31.1.71 | 1.2.71–31.1.72 | 1.7.70–31.1.71 | 1.2.71–31.1.72 | 1.7.70–31.1.72 | ||
| Brecknock RDC | … | — | 2 | — | 18 | — | 20 | 20 |
| Crickhowell RDC | … | — | — | — | 3 | — | 3 | 3 |
| Aberystwyth RDC | … | 1 | 1 | — | — | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Burry Port UDC | … | — | 1 | 5 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 7 |
| Flint BC | … | — | 2 | — | — | — | 2 | 2 |
| Rhyl UDC | … | 1 | 1 | — | 3 | 1 | 4 | 5 |
| Cardiff CBC | … | 8 | 61 | 33 | 171 | 41 | 232 | 273 |
| Caerphilly UDC | … | 2 | 2 | — | — | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| Maesteg UDC | … | 1 | — | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| Mountain Ash UDC | … | — | 1 | — | — | — | 1 | 1 |
| Penarth UDC | … | — | 4 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 10 | 11 |
| Cowbridge RDC | … | 2 | — | 2 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 5 |
| Gower RDC | … | — | 1 | — | 1 | — | 2 | 2 |
| Neath RDC | … | 10 | 22 | — | — | 10 | 22 | 32 |
| Pontardawe RDC | … | — | — | 5 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 9 |
| Barmouth UDC | … | — | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 5 |
| Dolgellau RDC | … | — | 5 | 1 | — | 1 | 5 | 6 |
| Newport CBC | … | — | — | 12 | 199 | 12 | 199 | 211 |
| Abergavenny BC | … | — | 1 | — | — | — | 1 | 1 |
| Abertillery UDC | … | 2 | 1 | — | — | 2 | — | 2 |
| Blaenavon UDC | … | 1 | — | — | — | 1 | — | 1 |
§ selling council houses has now been reduced by at least one due to the recent decision of the Newport Borough Council? Is the hon. Gentleman aware, further, that that authority came to the conclusion that it was not economic to sell council houses for £3,000 and to build new ones for £6,000, especially with more than 2,000 families on the waiting list, many of them in a desperate plight?
§ Mr. Gibson-WattThe decision whether to sell houses rests with individual councils. Wales is well known as a land of home-owners. More than 50 per cent. of our people own their homes, and the present Government are in favour of extending that.
§ Mr. McBrideIs the Minister of State aware that a council house in South Wales was offered last week at £4,500, the offer being tenable for only three months? Is not this an exorbitant price for a time-depreciated asset? Is the hon. Gentleman further aware that uncontrolled sales of council houses do not help waiting lists but create problems of resale abuses? It is socially wrong. Surely the Government should do something about it.
§ Mr. Gibson-WattThose are the hon. Gentleman's views. But the view of the Government is that the sale of council houses should be encouraged. It is up to councils to take their own line on this.
§ Following are the details:
5| Local Authority | Built pre-war | Built post-war | Total | Total | Grand Total | ||
| 1.1.70–31.1.71 | 1.2.71–31.1.72 | 1.1.70–31.1.71 | 1.2.71–31.1.72 | 1.7.70–31.1.71 | 1.2.71–31.1.72 | 1.7.70–31.1.72 | |
| Nantyglo and Blaina UDC | — | — | — | 1 | — | 1 | 1 |
| Abergavenny RDC | — | — | — | 2 | — | 2 | 2 |
| Magor and St. Mellons RDC | 2 | 1 | 1 | 11 | 3 | 12 | 15 |
| Monmouth RDC | — | 1 | — | — | — | 1 | 1 |
| Haverfordwest BC | — | 3 | — | 13 | — | 16 | 16 |
| Pembroke RDC | — | — | 1 | — | 1 | — | 1 |
| Painscastle RDC | 1 | — | — | — | 1 | — | 1 |
| 31 | 111 | 63 | 437 | 94 | 548 | 642 | |
| Number of local authorities … … … 28 |