§ Mr. Kilroy-Silkasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps he is taking to establish whether there are adequate supplies of land for private house building; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. FreesonNationally, the supply is adequate, but there may be difficulties in particular areas. My Department, in conjunction with the National House-Building Council, the House Builders Federation and the Federation of Master Builders, is co-operating with the 11 local authorities in the Greater Manchester area, in a comprehensive study of the availability of land for private house-building in that area. I hope that all the parties will gain valuable lessons from this which can be applied elsewhere.
I have already stressed to local authorities generally in a recent circular the importance of thorough local studies in consultation with the housebuilders and I 771W have urged the industry to co-operate in this.