§ Mr. Biggs-Davisonasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many houses are under construction in Northern Ireland compared with last year; how many were completed compared with last year; whether he is satisfied with the progress made; and whether he expects the Ministry of Development's objective of 73,500 houses in the period 1970 to 1975 to be achieved.
§ Mr. David HowellAt 31st October 1973, 13,509 houses were under construction in Northern Ireland compared with 15,524 at the same time last year. In the year ended 31st October 1973, 10,748 houses were completed compared with 12,111 in the preceding year.
These figures indicate a decline in the housing programme. The major factor in slowing down progress has been the state of civil unrest in many areas. Over 44,000 houses have been completed since 1st April 1970, but it now seems unlikely that the target figure of 73,500 houses will be achieved in the period 1970 to 1975.