§ 12. Mr. William Hamiltonasked the Minister of Land and Natural Resources if he will make a statement on the continued rise in land prices; and what steps he is taking to protect the public interest in this matter pending legislation.
§ Mr. SkeffingtonOver recent years very considerable profits have been made from rising land prices. Between 1959 and 1964, the cost of a site for a typical new house rose by at least 40 per cent. in the main "pressure areas" where the housing shortage is most acute. The rise in the London area and parts of the West Midlands is of course even greater. The only way to deal with this grave social problem is to introduce as soon as possible our legislation to establish a Land Commission.