Mr. SIMONasked the Minister of Health whether he can give an estimate of the rate at which houses are actually being built under the 1923 Act, and also of the maximum rate at which houses can be built without any increase in the supply of skilled building trade labour, and without preventing other kinds of building?
§ Mr. WHEATLEYUp to 1st February, 22,600 houses had been commenced under the Housing, Etc., Act, 1923, and 4,680 had been completed. There were also 4,634 houses under construction on this date under the previous housing scheme. The corresponding annual rate of construction is difficult to estimate, but may be put at from 36,000 to 40,000 houses a year. The whole question of the supply of building labour is now the subject of discussion by a conference of employers and operatives and I should prefer for the present not to make any estimate as regards the latter part of the hon. Member's question.