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requirements had been accelerated from 4,000 to 5,000 starts in the
Current year; 2,500 houses had been purchased, approved for purchase or
consideration were under construction against emergency requirements for forces other than those to be withdrawn from Germany; and a survey of houses or flats against a requirement of 2,700 for army forces from Germany would be completed by 3rd March. No difficulty was expected in meeting these
requirements and it now seemed clear that it would not be necessary to
make much use of temporary housing.
The barracks and family accommodation required for army units from
Germany would begin to be available in September this year and almost the whole of the requirement would be met by April 1968. As regards RAF
withdrawals there were to be discussions between the Ministry of Defence
and the Treasury about the timing of the return of the three Canberra
squadrons from Germany to this country. If this took place before the autumn of 1968, greater recourse would be necessary to emergency
accommodation for families with a substantial consequential increase in
cost and technical works services at a cost of £0.5 million would be
required.
The Committee
(1) Took note of the statements by the Foreign Secretary and
the Joint Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Housing and Local Government.
(2) Agreed that arrangements for the withdrawal of forces from
Germany should be planned on the assumption that agreement would be reached with our allies which would enable notice to those forces to be withdrawn to be given in May.
Cabinet Office, S.W.1. 24th February 1967
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