HC Deb 19 January 1970 vol 794 cc58-9W
Mr. Eldon Griffiths

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government if he will state the number of new houses, for private occupation and for local authority letting, which were completed in the administrative county of West Suffolk during the first three-quarters of 1969; how many of each category were under construction on 1st January, 1970 or the nearest convenient date; and how many he estimates, on the basis of existing planning consents, will be started in the first half of 1970.

Mr. Freeson

868 private and 419 local authority dwellings were reported completed in West Suffolk during the period, and at the end of November, 1969, there were 1,057 and 912 respectively under construction.

Planning consents do not give a reliable basis for estimating starts in the near future; as regards local authority houses, approved tenders are a better indication, and 626 such houses in approved tenders in this area had not been started at the end of November.

Mr. Eldon Griffiths

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government if he will sate in percentage terms the proportion of houses built for private ownership, as compared with the proportion built for local authority letting, between 1st October, 1964, and 1st October, 1969, in the administrative county of West Suffolk and, for purposes of comparison, in the administrative counties of East Suffolk and Cambridgeshire, Dorset and Wiltshire, Lincolnshire and the West Riding of Yorkshire, and in England and Wales as a whole.

Mr. Freeson

The figures are shown below:—

DWELLINGS COMPLETED FOR LOCAL AUTHORITIES AND FOR PRIVATE OWNERSHIP, 1ST OCTOBER, 1964 TO 30TH SEPTEMBER, 1969
Percentages of all dwellings completed*
Area Local Authority Private Sector
Administrative County:
West Suffolk 44 55
East Suffolk 18 81
Cambridge and Isle of Ely 31 65
Dorset 18 77
Wiltshire 28 63
Lincolnshire (parts of Holland, Kesteven and Lindsey) 28 68
Yorkshire, West Riding 35 64
England and Wales 39 57
* "All dwellings" includes other public sector completions: i.e. for new towns, housing associations and government departments.