§ Mr. John Fraserasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement about the current level of starts in local authority house building.
§ Mr. AmeryThe latest figures for local authority house building indicate a distinct levelling off in the downward trend, which has prevailed since 1968. After adjusting for normal seasonal movements, starts in the last six months of 1971 were as high as in the second quarter. This suggests that the decline has stopped. Moreover, approvals in the last quarter of 1971 were well up on the corresponding quarter of 1970. I am particularly concerned about the rate of progress in the stress areas, and the House will be 269W glad to know that public authority housing starts in 1971 were 8 per cent. up in London over 1970. While it was down in Manchester, in Birmingham—where there is a progressive Conservative authority—local authority housing starts were up by no less than 27 per cent., not 37 per cent. as stated in my previous answer to the hon. Member on 16th February, 1972.—[Vol. 830, c. 418–9.]