HL Deb 14 February 1968 vol 289 cc96-7
LORD LEATHERLAND

My Lords. I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.

[The Question was as follows:

To ask Her Majesty's Government how many houses were built in the United Kingdom in each of the years 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966 and 1967; how many houses were started in 1967 and in the corresponding earlier years: how many houses are expected to be built in 1968; how much money was advanced to house purchasers by Building Societies in 1967; and how this amount compares with earlier years.]

THE PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY MINISTRY OF HOUSING AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT (LORD KENNET)

My Lords, I will, with permission, circulate in the OFFICIAL REPORT the complete figures for 1963 to 1967 and confine myself now to the outlines. In the United Kingdom 307,714 houses were completed in 1963 and 415,455 in 1967; £841 million was advanced by building societies for house purchase in 1963 and £1,441 million in 1967. It is not possible to provide a specific forecast for 1968; but house completions are expected to exceed the record level reached in 1967.

LORD LEATHERLAND

My Lords, may I thank my noble friend for those figures? I shall look forward to seeing the full figures when they are circulated. In the meantime, in order that I may understand them quite clearly, can the noble Lord tell me whether they show that the number of houses built last year was a record for all time; that the houses planned for the coming year will be a still higher record; that the number of houses actually under construction now is the highest ever; and also that the advances by the building societies to house purchasers last year were the highest on record?

LORD KENNET

Yes, my Lords, I can confirm all that.

LORD BROOKE OF CUMNOR

My Lords, can the noble Lord also explain why the Government of which he was a member told the electorate before the last Election that they proposed to complete 500,000 houses in 1970 and have now withdrawn from that promise?

LORD KENNET

My Lords, I think the circumstances of that matter have been fully explained in another place, and I am not sure that it would be right to detain the House by repeating the explanation here.

Following are the details referred to in Lord Kennet's main Answer.

HOUSES STARTED AND COMPLETED IN THE UNITED KINGDOM,1963 TO 1967:
Number of dwellings
Starts Completions
1963 377,056 307,714
1964 435,853 383,192
1965 403,208 391,234
1966 389,863 396,009
1967 460,329 415,455
ADVANCES TO HOUSE PURCHASERS BY BUILDING SOCIETIES 1963 TO 1967 (UNITED KINGDOM)
£ million
Advances to House Purchasers
1963 841
1964 1,038
1965 948
1966 1,217
1967 1,441