§ 67. Major STEELasked the Secretary for Scotland whether he is aware that the housing secretary of the Scottish Board of Health wrote to the county sanitary inspector of the county of Selkirk, on 13th December, 1919, asking him whether he agreed with the Report of the Selkirk County Council as to the requirements for new houses in the county; whether it is customary for a Government department to invite the opinion of an official employed by a county council upon the decision or Report of the members of that council; and, if not, will he take steps to ensure that such procedure does not recur?
§ Mr. MUNROThe answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. As regards the remainder of the question, I would remind my hon. and gallant Friend that under the Housing, Town Planning, &c. (Scotland) Act of last Session, the Scottish Board of Health have a duty placed upon them to consider the adequacy of schemes submitted. It is obviously impossible for the Board to discharge this duty without free recourse to local sources of information. It may be that the form of inquiry adopted in 1109 this case is open to objection, and I have brought this aspect of the matter under the notice of the Board. The Board, however, have an unrestricted statutory right to require information from sanitary inspectors, and I cannot, give any undertaking which would debar them from the exercise of this right in regard to matters bearing on local administration.