§ 44. Mr. A. Lewisasked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs, in view of the fact that since October 1951 there has been a reduction of 31 per cent. in the numbers of council and local authority houses completed in England and Wales, what action he proposes to take to arrest this decline and restore the position to its former level.
§ Sir K. JosephDuring the period since 1951 there has been considerable variation in the number of houses built year by year by local authorities. It is the Government's policy to secure that within the rapidly rising total house-building programme the share taken by local authorities continues to be related to local needs and capacity.
§ Mr. A. Lewisasked the Minister of Housing and 173W Minister for Welsh Affairs, in view of the fact that since October, 1951, there has been a 72 per cent. rise in the cost of building a 900 square foot three-bedroom council house, what estimate he has made of the number of council houses that could have been built in each calendar year to date for the same expenditure of money, assuming that prices had been controlled at the 1951 level.
§ Sir K. JosephSo many other things have changed since 1951—including an increase of more than 75 per cent. in building wage rates—that I do not think such estimates would be worth making.
§ Mr. A. Lewisasked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs whether he is aware flat since 1951 there has been a 31 per cent. decrease in council house building, which has caused many persons to seek to purchase private houses; that private houses have risen in price by 100 per cent. to 200 per cent., and that this increase, together with the increased rates, bank and mortgage interest charges and the increased costs of repair and decoration, means that they are unable to afford private purchase; and what further action he proposes to take to help potential home purchasers.
§ Sir K. JosephThe total housing programme in 1963 was over 50 per cent. greater than in 1951 and nearly eight times as many houses were built for owner-occupation. Lending by building societies and local authorities has kept pace with this great expansion in building, with the result that the proportion of families owning their homes has increased steadily from 28 per cent. in 1951 to 42 per cent. today. There is no evidence that house prices generally have risen by anything like as much as the Question suggests. Meanwhile the level of wages and salaries has more than doubled since 1951. All the indications are that the rise in home ownership will continue even more rapidly this year I am sure that the lending agencies are doing their best to spread the benefits of home ownership as widely as possible.