§ THE EARL OF MANSFIELD asked His Majesty's Government whether it is part of their official policy to discourage any extension of the ownership of their own dwellings by members of the wage-earning and lower-salaried classes.
§ LORD HENDERSONAs was stated by my right honourable friend the Prime Minister in another place, in present circumstances, when prices are inflated by shortage, the Government's own housing efforts are mainly directed to providing sufficient houses to be let at moderate rentals to those in greatest need. When the shortage is overcome and prices fall, the Government will give greater facilities for house ownership and they have already raised the ceiling for local authority loans for this purpose. On the question of land, in cases where the necessary land is acquired by the competent authority, as for instance for the replanning of areas of blitz or blight, or in the planning of new towns, it is the policy of the Government that the freehold of such land should, in general, remain in public hands. Apart from these cases, it is not the policy of the Government either to encourage or to discourage the buying of land by private persons.