asked the Minister of Labour how many building workers are registered as unemployed in the London area.

At 10th February, 7,273 workers whose last employment was in the construction industry were registered as unemployed in the Greater London area.

With so many thousands of building workers out of work, and so many other thousands employed on office building and luxury and other inessential building, how and when will the Government ever tackle the real problem of housing people now living in. London in conditions that are hardly fit for animals? When do the Government intend to sit up and take notice of the desperate situation now existing in London, and in quite a number of other places, at the present time?

Without in any way commenting on the last part of the hon. Gentleman's supplementary question—which is, of course, a matter for my right hon. Friend the Minister of Housing and Local Government—I must say that the really important item is the number of skilled workers. There can be no doubt, and it is widely accepted, that the shortage of skilled workers in the industry will become acute during the year, and every possible means of adding to the labour force will be fully justified.