§ Mrs. Renée Shortasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the value of new orders for the construction industry in (a) the private sector and (b) the public sector in housing at the latest available date; and how this compares with the figures for the same period for each of the previous 10 years at constant prices.
§ Mr. StanleyThe value of new orders at constant 1975 prices, seasonally adjusted, for the third quarter for the years in question are shown in the following table:
Housing Year third quarter Public £ million Private £ million 1970 346 465 1971 286 520 1972 297 552 1973 280 523 1974 320 248 1975 397 304 1976 320 307 1977 249 302 1978 233 354 1979 163 349 1980 103 170 1981 (Provisional) 77 204 Note:
Figures are collected monthly but have been shown quarterly because of the variability in monthly figures.