§ Mr. Frank Allaunasked the Minister of Housing and Local Government how the official estimate of completions and starts in the public and private sectors for 1970 is arrived at.
§ Mr. FreesonIn considering prospects for public sector housing starts in the near future the Department takes into account recent trends in tender approvals, together with estimates of the average length of time between approval and starts based on recent experience. Completions are estimated on the basis of starts and the average construction period.
162WPrivate sector completions over the very short term are limited by the number of dwellings under construction. For the rest, the estimates are based on the regular statistical inquiries of private enterprise housebuilders and other developers which provide information about the state of the market and the expected level of housing starts conducted jointly by the Department and the Ministry of Public Building and Works, and on information provided by the building societies about the supply of funds for house purchase.