§ 31. Mr. Terry Walkerasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will issue a circular offering guidance to local authorities purchasing new houses 463W from private builders inviting them to ensure that these houses are up to Parker Morris standards.
§ Mr. KaufmanGuidance on the acquisition by local authorities of new houses from private developers was given in Circular 70/74. We are prepared to accept houses built to the standards of the National House-Building Council. It would not be practicable to insist on modifications to meet Parker Morris standards because our objective is to enable local authorities to purchase suitable unsold houses which are complete or nearly complete. This is an emergency initiative to help local authorities to meet urgent housing needs quickly.