HC Deb 14 November 1973 vol 864 cc504-5
26. Sir Gilbert Longden

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has for encouraging local housing authorities to sponsor low-cost housing schemes for young married couples.

Mr. Eyre

Circular 60/73, issued on 27th April, informed local authorities of my right hon. and learned Friend's readiness to approve schemes of building for sale designed for this purpose. I hope that more authorities will follow the example of those who have already responded to this initiative.

Sir Gilbert Longden

I thank my hon. Friend for that reply, but does he recall that it is now many years since I brought the Department's attention to the scheme of the Bushey Urban District Council and only 18 months since he was talking about a conference as a result of the Newham scheme? What has happened since then?

Mr. Eyre

Since the beginning of 1972, about 40 local authorities have received approval for schemes comprising well over 3,000 dwellings, and several other local authorities have schemes under consideration. More could be done in small towns and in villages and in large towns, and I agree with my hon. Friend that these schemes should be very helpful to young married couples and others on the housing waiting lists.

Mr. McNamara

I appreciate the point made by the hon. Gentleman about low-cost housing schemes for young married couples, but what steps is the Department taking to meet the strain and anguish being created for so many of these young married couples who, with their wages severely restrained if they are buying a house at the existing mortgage rate, are finding it almost unbearable and will find the rate now threatened as a result of yesterday's announcements completely unbearable?

Mr. Eyre

My hon. Friend the Minister for Housing and Construction has already made the Government's position clear in this respect, but I stress that the helpfulness of such schemes, which would apply in so many parts of the country, makes it more and more important that local authorities should bring them forward.

Mr. Marten

Is not part of the blockage in council house vacancies due to the fact that council house tenants cannot move out when they want to, because they cannot, on the average industrial wage, get a mortgage to buy the house they would like to buy? Would it be possible for local councils to grant a second mortgage, admittedly at some extra risk, so that a council house tenant wishing to buy his own house could be helped?

Mr. Eyre

A scheme of the kind mentioned by my hon. Friend would certainly be considered, but the figures show that young married couples have been holding their own in the home ownership market. Again, I stress that schemes of this kind would be extremely helpful in assisting more of them to move on to home ownership.

Mr. Freeson

The Minister said that 3,000 dwellings had been approved for building for sale in the last two years, as if that were a marked improvement. Is he aware that in the last 10–15 years the average has been 1,500 dwellings built for sale by local authorities? That indicates that the figures for this year and last year are no better than they have been over the last 20 years.

Mr. Eyre

The hon. Gentleman must remember that he was a member of the Labour Government who did not encourage local authorities to bring forward these schemes. The difference is that the Conservative Government are prepared to give every encouragement to local authorities, and we hope that more and more local authorities will bring forward schemes for approval.