asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many housing starts have been carried out by local authorities in the years 1975 to 1980 on an annual basis, and between 1980 and the most recently available date; and if he will give similar figures for the private sector.

Figures of housing starts in England in the years 1975 to 1983 appear in table 6.1 of "Housing and Construction Statistics 1973–1983". Provisional public and private sector estimates for 1984 were published in table 2 of the Department's press notice No. 48 on 5 February 1985, and for sub-divisions of the public sector in table 3. Copies of both publications are available in the Library.