§ 53. Mr. Frank Allaunasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the house improvement and council house building programme for 1977–78 and 1978–79; what steps he intends to take to restore them to the level planned in 1975; and approximately how many jobs would be provided thereby.
§ Mr. ShoreWe are alread providing for a slightly larger council house bulding programme than was budgeted for in 1975 in Cmnd. 5879, the 1975 Expenditure White Paper. For house improvement work financed by the public sector the total provision is also larger for both 1977–78 and 1978–79 than was the provision for those years in Cmnd. 5879. The recently announced measures to assist the construction industry will also allow for increased new house building and improvements.