asked the Minister of Works if he will state the increase in office, shop and warehouse building in the last twelve months compared with seven years ago, and the decrease in council house building in the same periods.

Figures for shops and warehouses are not available. Public authority housing has fallen from about £440 million in 1954 to about £300 million in 1961 at current prices for each date. The figure for offices in 1954 was about £34 million and although detailed statistics are no longer collected it is estimated that the present figure may be of the order of £110 million.

Does not this mean that the Government's policy has slashed council house building at the very time when it has trebled office building? Which should have priority? Does the Minister think that Shell-Mex should have two enormous office blocks overlooking the Thames when thousands of families cannot even get a single room?

I think the real point is that no less than 26 per cent. of the whole of the construction work now going on is on housing.

Would not my right hon. Friend agree that private house building during the same period has doubled, and, further, that the people employed on office blocks would not necessarily have gone into house building if released; for instance, steel erectors?

I certainly agree that private housing has very much played its part in the good figures now being shown.