§ Mr. A. Lewisasked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs whether he is aware that there are fewer local authority houses being completed now than in 1947; what is the reason for this; and what action he proposes to take to increase the building of local authority houses.
§ Sir K. JosephThe present need for local authority house building is mainly in areas where there are urgent problems of slum clearance and shortage. The authorities for these areas will share in the rising programme of house building. Elsewhere, many local authorities either now have little or no need to build more council houses or have no need to increase the building programme they have. The effect of these conditions, which are very different from those of 1947, is that there are at present fewer houses being144W built by local authorities and many more built for owner-occupation in a balanced housing programme which is producing houses at well over double the 1947 rate.