asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs what proportion of Great Britain's gross national product was devoted to housing in 1963; and how many houses were built in that year.

In 1963 the proportion of the gross national product of the United Kingdom devoted to the provision of new housing was just under 3·6 per cent. In Great Britain more than 368,000 dwellings were started and nearly 299,000 dwellings were completed.

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that, with a slightly smaller population, West Germany builds 570,000 homes year after year, which is no miracle because that country devotes 5·8 per cent. of its national product to this purpose? Cannot the British Government devote an equal proportion to this purpose in our country, as many of us believe that unless 500,000 houses a year are built for the next ten years the tragic housing situation in our country will remain?

We are raising the housing programme as fast as is practicable. While the hon. Gentleman may hold the opinion that building 500,000 houses a year is practicable, his right hon. Friends have settled upon the same target as the Government.

I wonder whether my right hon. Friend would do me the courtesy of telling me the current percentage for 1964.

On present estimates, in 1964 about 4 per cent. of the gross national product will be spent on new housing, which is about the same percentage as 1954, when the right hon. Member for Huyton (Mr. H. Wilson) said that too many houses were being built.

Is my right hon. Friend aware that the figures given for German housing include many thousands which are built without bathrooms, which ought to concern the hon. Member for Salford, East (Mr. Frank Allaun), and are not comparable with our building at all? Is it not right to put this into its right perspective? Is my right hon. Friend aware that the total proportion of the gross national product spent on social services is 16½ per cent. as against 13 per cent. in 1951?

All my hon. Friend has said is true, and it shows how difficult it is to compare one slice of the gross national product with one slice of that in another country without looking at all expenditure.

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware, however, that in West Germany the size of homes is going up while under this country's present Government the size of homes is going down?

It happened in Germany becaue they started off very small.