§ 1. Mr. Andersonasked the Secretary of State for Wales how many dwellings were (a) sold and (b) completed by local authorities in 1981, 1982 and 1983 at the latest available date.
§ The Under-Secretary of State for Wales (Mr. Wyn Roberts)Welsh local authorities sold 8,501 dwellings in 1981, 15,134 in 1982, and 5,327 to the end of June 1983. The figures for completions in the same periods were 3,370, 1,771 and 837, respectively.
§ Mr. AndersonDoes the Minister agree that that shameful picture shows that only a small proportion of the houses that have been sold are being replaced, and that Thursday's economic statement is likely to mean that virtually all house building is likely to dry up in Wales? Are not the Government responsible for those who do not have the financial resources to buy their own houses—single-parent families, and others?
§ Mr. RobertsThe priority that local authorities give to new building is entirely a matter for them. By the end of the second quarter of this year the hon. Gentleman's local authority had spent 20 per cent. of its capital expenditure on new build. The hon. Gentleman neglects the fact that the private sector supplies dwellings and that private sector starts were 33 per cent. up last year on the year before.
§ Mr. Geraint HowellsDoes the Minister agree that now is the appropriate time to give extra financial aid to local authorities to build more council houses?
§ Mr. RobertsI repeat that new building is a matter for local authorities, but they have not given a high priority to new build. New house building has been in decline for a number of years, and there was a considerable decline during the period of the Labour Government.
§ Mr. Gwilym JonesDoes my hon. Friend agree that his answer demonstrates the immense popularity of the right to buy in Wales?
§ Mr. RobertsMy hon. Friend is right. There is no doubt whatever about the popularity of the right to buy among secure tenants who wish to buy their public sector houses. About 33,000 public sector houses have been sold to secure tenants since October 1980.
§ Mr. Ioan EvansThe figures show that in some areas twice as many houses have been sold than have been built by local authorities—indeed, more than that in some areas. In view of the increasing numbers of people on the waiting lists—people who could not hope to buy houses and therefore have to rent—what proposals do the Government have to replace the rented stock?
§ Mr. RobertsThe hon. Gentleman and his hon. Friends make that point 'with what I can only call monumental monotony. It is not true that houses are lost when they are sold to secure tenants. The people who buy them would have remained as tenants. Now they are owner-occupiers. The building of new houses is a matter for local authorities.