HC Deb 08 December 1976 vol 922 cc217-8W
25. Mr. Lawrence

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects the annual level of private house starts to exceed 200,000.

28. Mr. Eyre

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the condition of the private house building industry.

Mr. Armstrong

Private house starts fell to 105,000 in 1974. They rose to 150,000 in 1975 and they should be better than that in 1976. I accept that the immediate prospects are not encouraging, but I want to see as high a level of private house starts as economic circumstances will permit.

36. Mr. Gwilym Roberts

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what were the numbers of local authority housing completions and starts for 1975; what were the corresponding figures for each of the previous 10 years; what estimates are available for the number of completions and starts in 1976 and 1977; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Shore

The figures requested in the first two parts of the Question are published in Housing and Construction Statistics—formerly Housing Statistics—copies of which are in the Library. As to the estimates for 1976 and 1977, completions in Great Britain in both years are likely to be higher than they were last year, when the figure was 146,000; starts are expected to be lower than last year's figure of 153,000.