§ 47. Mr. Evelyn Kingasked the Minister of Housing and Local Government whether it is Government policy to increase home ownership in Dorset; how many planning consents for dwelling houses have been issued, and how many refused, in the last 12 months; and whether he will make a statement on future policy in this matter.
§ Mr. MellishAs regards the first part of the Question the Government policy, in Dorset as elsewhere, is that people should be able to have the sort of house which best suits their needs. As regards the second part of the Question, 3,481 applications for planning permission for residential development in Dorset were granted in 1963, the latest period available, and 851 were refused; but the records do not enable me to say how many houses these represent.