HC Deb 31 January 1973 vol 849 cc1349-52
15. Dr. Dickson Mabon

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many new houses were constructed in Scotland in 1972.

Mr. Younger

The figure is 31,990.

Dr. Mabon

Does that reply mean a fall of over 12,000 as against the last full year of the Labour Government and the calendar year 1970, which included some months of Labour Government, and represents a fall of 9,000 as against 1971? Since the alibi of time has now been removed from Ministers, does the Under-Secretary agree that all our warnings of a collapse in the housing programme have, alas, proved to be terribly true and that the whole volume of the programme has gone down by over one-fifth without very much sign of its going up? Will the hon. Gentleman tell us what the figure is likely to be this year?

Mr. Younger

I do not agree with the hon. Gentleman's interpretation of the figures. Completions for this year are a direct reflection of approvals given in the last years of his own Government, and he might like to explain himself why the Labour Government allowed the approval figures to go down from 27,000 in 1968 to 26,000 in 1969 and only 17,000 in 1970. He might also bear in mind that one of the strange things about houses in Scotland is that they have to be started before they can be finished.

Mr. Edward Taylor

We can fully understand the points made by my hon. Friend, and he is quite right to avoid specific targets. Does he think that we will have more houses or fewer houses built in 1973 than in 1972?

Mr. Younger

I am grateful to my hon. Friend. I do not believe that it is a significant and important factor in the housing programme to set future targets which cannot be carried out, just as they were not carried out by the party opposite. But my hon. Friend will be glad to hear that the number of approvals we are now putting through represents a very considerable improvement. As a result of the encouragement we have given to local authorities, 28,567 public sector houses were approved in 1972, which is 5,000 more than in 1971 and over 7,500 more than in 1970.

Mr. Baxter

As many local authorities are now getting to the fulfilment of their housing programmes and it is now more important than ever that the design and general appearance of houses should be brought into keeping with good taste, will the Under-Secretary see that more care is exercised by his Department to ensure that such things as the design and amenity of houses are given serious consideration?

Mr. Younger

I very much agree with the hon. Gentleman. There are two main priorities which are increasing in importance: first, what he describes as the importance of providing better homes for everyone in Scotland and, secondly, any increase in improvement activity. I am sure that he will be as glad as I am that in 1972 we had the improvement, with the aid of grant, of nearly 49,000 houses, compared with 15,000 in 1969.

Mr. McEIhone

Does not the Minister agree that one reason for the poor figures he has announced is the abolition of the Land Commission and that another is the high price of land as a result of the inflationary policies of the Government?

Mr. Younger

I am afraid that, not for the first time, I could not disagree more with the hon. Member. The very last thing that would help the building of houses in Scotland would be any resurrection of that unlamented body the Land Commission. In the second place, there does not appear to be any significant increase in the land factor in relation to the price of houses in Scotland.

Mr. Ross

We have a serious drop from the 1970 figure of 44,000 to 31,000 bearing in mind housing conditions in Scotland. How many houses does the Minister hope to complete in the current year?

Mr. Younger

I do not think it is of advantage to set targets, as the previous Government found with the targets they set without the slightest hope of achieving them. The right hon. Gentleman will also acknowledge that the initiation of local authority programmes is in the hands of local authorities, and we have given local authorities every possible encouragement, to build as many as they can. The right hon. Gentleman will also no doubt notice that the building under our control through the Scottish Special Housing Association and the new town corporations has been showing an encouraging trend, and private house completions are at a record level.

Mr. Ross

The Minister has no alibi for these figures, and certainly no alibi for this year. Why does he not tell us, on the basis of houses under construction, when they were started and how many will be completed this year? That should not be a guess.

Mr. Younger

The right hon. Gentleman is correct in saying that there is a relationship between the number of houses under construction and the number likely to be completed, but I am content to leave it that from the high level of houses under construction at the moment I expect to see a very significant improvement this year in the number of completions, and local authorities will get every encouragement from me. We hope to see record levels in private house completions as well.

Dr. Mabon

On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. In view of the unsatisfactory nature of the reply, I beg to give notice that I shall seek to raise the matter on the Adjournment. "These guilty men."