§ 38. Mr. Stephen Rossasked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether, in the light of recent events in Lambeth and elsewhere, he will seek powers to ensure that houses which can still be made fit for occupation at reasonable cost are not demolished without his prior consent.
§ Mr. FreesonNo. It is the Government's policy that existing housing should be preserved to the fullest possible extent, but the application of this policy to particular cases is essentially a matter for the local authority concerned.