WANDSWORTH

HC Deb 22 November 1973 vol 864 cc1548-9

Q5. Mr. Thomas Cox

asked the Prime Minister if he will visit the London borough of Wandsworth.

The Prime Minister

I have at present no plans to do so.

Mr. Cox

Is the Prime Minister aware that, following the collapse of his economic policy, some of those hardest hit will be local authorities, such as Wandsworth, which are trying to overcome social problems caused by, first, increased costs and, secondly, the private developers whom we are trying to fight off because they have no interest in the borough or the people? The private developers are interested solely in the money which they can make. Is the right hon. Gentleman further aware that, instead of writing to Tory candidates in Wandsworth, he should come to the borough and meet the elected representatives who have to try to solve the problems?

The Prime Minister

Housing is a matter for the local authority to organise. We have placed no restriction on its house building. [An HON. MEMBER: "Yardsticks."] Concerning the use of private developers, that again is a matter for local authorities. But I cannot help noticing that in many parts of London, Labour authorities are using private developers to the utmost.

Mr. Geoffrey Finsberg

If my right hon. Friend visits Wandsworth or any other Labour-controlled borough in London, will he point out to the local authority that the acquisition at almost any price of any house coming on to the market does not add any property to the housing stock?

The Prime Minister

That is quite true.

Mr. Pardoe

Are not the repeated assertions that the right hon. Gentleman's Government are putting nothing in the way of local authorities building houses totally misleading and not believed by anyone in local government? In the first six months of this year, as a result of Government policy, Cornish local authorities were able to start only 135 local authority houses compared with 435 in the same period last year. What will the right hon. Gentleman do about that?

The Prime Minister

That is certainly not the result of Government restrictions on local authority building.