asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs what consideration he has given to maintaining housing starts at such a level as to provide a steady load of work for the different stages of the building industry.

My right hon. Friend, the Minister of Public Building and Works and I are conscious of the need to maintain a steady demand on the building industry both to create confidence and to secure maximum productivity. I am encouraging local authorities to co-operate in forward planning of their house building programmes and to adopt methods of construction which make the best use of the available labour.

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that the shortage of bricks and some shortage of labour in the finishing trades, together with a possible fall-off in the rate of new orders from local authorities as the backlog is cleared up, are causing a certain amount of unease about the steadiness of future orders to the housing industry? Is he further aware that figures recently published by the Minister of Public Building and Works show a slight fall from January to March in the rate of new housing starts by local public authorities?

I am aware that in the great jump forward in the quantity of houses under construction this year—a 25 per cent. increase on last year—there are bound to be some strains, but we are likely to get a record number of completions this year.

Is it not highly satisfactory that the Government, having promised to reach a target of 350,000 houses a year next year, have already started this year between 360,000 and 370,000?

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that this is not a matter of party propaganda on one side or the other? There is a serious problem for the building industry in maintaining a steady level, and this does not seem to be appreciated in his Ministry. Will he look at this more closely?

It is appreciated in my Ministry that, at the speed we are going, it is important to encourage labour-saving devices and other materials. With the brick industry and others connected with building, my right hon. Friend the Minister of Public Building and Works is doing all he can to ensure—and is ensuring—that materials keep pace with the greatly increased demand.