§ Mr. Ronald Atkinsasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his Department's estimate of the number of housing starts in both the public and private sector for 1977.
§ Mr. ArmstrongWe have made provision for 150,000 public sector starts this year, but progress has been somewhat slow in the early part of the year. It is for local authorities and the other bodies concerned to attain the programmes allocated to them. The level of starts in the private sector depends upon decisions by builders and developers. However, the latest Private Enterprise Housing Enquiry, published by my Department in March, shows that private house builders expect to start 145,000 dwellings in 1977.