HC Deb 12 June 1974 vol 874 cc1590-1
1. Mr. Carter

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on his attempts to improve the house building programme.

The Minister for Housing and Construction (Mr. Reginald Freeson)

There are encouraging signs that local authorities are responding to the initiatives we have taken to increase their house building programmes and extend social ownership. Extension of building and acquisition by housing associations together with the loans being offered to building societies should also improve the housing programme.

Mr. Carter

I thank the Minister for that reply. Is he aware that as a result of the previous Government's disastrous housing record there are now 30,000 people on the waiting list in Birmingham, and more broken homes and split families than in the last 20 years? Will he assure the House that if there are to be cuts in public expenditure in the future, housing will not be affected by them?

Mr. Freeson

My hon. Friend's observations on the situation in Birmingham—a situation that applies in many other parts of the country—go to the root of our deep concern to get something done about housing—to climb out of the mess we inherited. So far from cutting housing expenditure the Government have increased it and will maintain it at the levels we raised it to recently in order to get more houses built.

Mr. Eyre

In his consultations with local authorities will the Minister give full emphasis and encouragment to schemes for sponsoring low-cost housing? That could be of great assistance to lower-income couples seeking home ownership and could also provide work for small building companies.

Mr. Freeson

Yes. Indeed, the present Birmingham authority has a very good record in that respect. Provided that the provision by local authorities of housing for sale for owner-occupation, preferably at the lower end of the market, does not mean a reduction in the number of houses built for rent by those authorities, we shall certainly back any moves in that direction.

Mr. Skinner

Is my hon. Friend aware that we cannot and will not build sufficient houses to meet the people's needs if we allow other types of lower priority building to go ahead? To build houses requires men, materials and capital, but these are also needed by the less important projects. In that context, therefore, will my hon. Friend take steps to stop the building of the proposed 29 yachting marinas, possibly costing upwards of £1,000 million, projected for the coasts around Britain? If that sort of development goes ahead we shall not solve the housing problem.

Mr. Freeson

The provision of yachting marinas and other similar facilities does not come within my scope as Minister for housing, but I shall consult my hon. Friend in the Department on the point raised by my hon. Friend.

Mr. Rossi

Will the Minister give an estimate of the increase in the number of starts that will take place this year as a result of the new policies of the Government?

Mr. Freeson

No, not yet. This is no laughing matter, and two Conservative Members should be the last to laugh about it. We inherited the worst disaster in housing construction in 40 years. I shall be able to give some estimates in the not too distant future. There are positive signs, certainly in the local authority sphere, that there will be considerably more starts than were prepared for by the previous administration, as set down in their public expenditure survey document published in their last year of office. That document forecast 70,000 local authority housing starts in this financial year. We shall certainly be well above that figure.