asked the Minister for the Environment if he is satisfied that the rate of local authority house building will be sufficient to meet demand, on the forecast available to his Department, over the next five years.
Written Answers. - Local Authority House Building.
401.
The Government's decisions on the scale of the local authority housing programme, within available resources, are made from time to time, not on the basis of demand, but on the level of the ascertained genuine need for local authority housing. The allocation of £80.77 million for local authority house building this year will ensure that activity on the programme will continue at a high level commensurate with ascertained housing needs. I am satisfied that, in the subsequent four years, full regard will be had by the Government in deciding the level of the programme to all relevant factors, including the current upsurge of private housing, and reconstruction.