Housing (London) (Hansard, 12 April 1972)

§ Mr. Amery

This letter was received on 29th March, 1972. I am arranging for the corerspondence to be published in the Official Report. I have nothing to add to the statements contained in the reply to the hon. Member.

Following is the correspondence:

From the: London Council of Social Service.

To the: Secretary of State for Social Services. Secretary of State for the Environment.

LONDON'S HOUSING NEEDS

The housing shortage in Greater London is critical and is causing deep misery and distress to many. Voluntary organisations within the metropolis urge Her Majesty's Government to regard housing as the service requiring highest priority. Only in this way will the existing severe hardship, waste of human potential and cost to the community be reduced. The numbers are known of homeless families, the length of housing waiting lists, and the number of houses and flats becoming available and these figures reveal a grim situation. But statistics alone cannot convey the full effects of poor and inappropriate housing or generate a compassionate understanding of the part housing 181W plays in the welfare of people. Over 40 organisations in London have evidenced ways in which inappropriate housing, or the total lack of it, nullifies or reduces the effectiveness of much work done by social workers, medical personnel and educationalists. This is bad use of limited resources.

The only way to eliminate homelessness and the widespread social problems caused by slums, overcrowding and multi-occupation is the provision of a sufficient number of adequately equipped dwellings in the right places at prices within the reach of even the lowest paid workers. We welcome attempts to encourage this provision through the Action Group on London Housing established by the Department of the Environment to review regularly the drive to overcome the London housing shortage. We welcome, too, the proposal by the London Boroughs Asociation to set up a London Housing Office as an inter-borough clearing house for land and accommodation. If these efforts do not produce a more vigorous well planned housing programme in the near future, the voluntary organisations ask Her Majesty's Government to set up a regional housing authority with executive powers. We strongly support the recommendations in the Milner Holland, Culling worth (Transfer of G.L.C. Housing to the London Boroughs) and Greve reports that Greater London must be considered as a whole and not as thirty-three different areas. This would seem to be the only way to avoid perpetuating the current housing difficulties which have almost reached disaster proportions.

We urge Her Majesty's Government to treat the problem of London's housing as an emergency. An intensive programme of housebuilding and conversion is essential, as the current planning and housing programmes show no possibility of reducing London's overall housing shortage in the foreseeable future. Without emergency action the community's resources will continue to be drained away in provision of palliatives and future generations will have to face similar or worse problems

From the:

Minister for Housing and Construction.

11th April, 1972.

To:

Arthur W. J. Lewis, Esq., MP.

Peter Walker has asked me to reply to your letter of 28th March enclosing the statement, which I now return, from the London Council of Social Service about the housing situation in London.

I agree entirely with the sentiments expressed by the London Council of Social Service As you know, we are giving London housing very high priority, with the emphasis on treating London as a whole rather than as 33 separate London borough areas.

I welcome the help which the voluntary organisations are giving, not only in keeping attention focused on the London housing problem but in the real practical contribution they can and are making in providing more houses for London's needs. We have for some time 182W been encouraging local authorities to help the voluntary housing movement in house building as an addition to and not in substitution for their own local authority house building efforts. Amendments have recently been made to the Housing Finance Bill which will increase the amount of Government subsidy available to Housing Associations.

As you know, and as the London Council of Social Service acknowledges, I set up the Action Group on London Housing to monitor progress on the London housing drive and to take such action as is necessary to keep up its momentum. Apart from the advisory notes the Action Group has issued so far on general aspects of the London housing problem (and copies of these are being supplied to the London Council of Social Service among others), the major task of the Action Group has been to initiate a survey of land availability in London. Thus, basic information is needed to determine the existing housing potential in London, to find out what precisely is being done to realise that potential, and to consider what steps need to be taken to overcome any continuing land shortage or other obstacle.

But we are not allowing things to drift mean-while. We are in constant touch with the local authorities urging them maintain and encourage a high level of house building in London by all agencies both public and private. I am pleased to say that our efforts are meeting with an encouraging response from the London boroughs generally. Moreover, house improvement is going ahead by leaps and bounds and I feel confident that the campaign on house improvement we are currently mounting in London will ensure continued progress on this front.

I can assure you that the Government is determined to do all that is necessary to overcome—and as rapidly as possible—the desperate housing situation in London.

Julian Amery.