Freedom to Build
It has now become practically impossible to criticise Mr. Harold Macmillan's enterprising housing policy without appear- ing to advocate the building of fewer houses. The Opposition are faced with the fact that high subsidies already encourage the building of council houses to let and that on January 1st the easier issue of licences will encourage private individuals and builders to go ahead with more houses for private owner- ship. The total effect of the present Government's policy has already been to increase the number of houses available in both categories. The facilities for repair work are actually beginning to outrun the demand. It is very difficult for any politician to find any way of attacking the Minister of Housing and Local Government without losing votes. It is left to the secretariat of O.E.E.C. to suggest that the British housing programme may have to be carried out at the expense of factory and agricultural building, and it is rather unlikely that -1 the Government will be forced to shorten its stride by such distant and academic carping. In any case the apparatus of control is still intact, even if all of it is no longer in active use. There is really little to be done about Mr. Macmillan and his housing programme except to wish him luck and hope that the country can really afford it.
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