§ 33. Mr. DUNCAN MILLARasked the Under-Secretary to the Scottish Board of Health if he can state the names of the various Scottish bodies, associations or committees from whom representations have been received by the Scottish Office or the Scottish Board of Health in favour of a separate Housing Bill for Scotland?
§ Captain ELLIOTA copy of a resolution of the nature mentioned was submitted to the Secretary for Scotland by a committee of the Convention of Royal Burghs. Apart from this, no representations on the subject by Scottish bodies have been received by the Scottish Office or the Scottish Board of Health.
§ Mr. MILLARHas the hon. and gallant. Gentleman not received representations from the special committee appointed to advise the Scottish Office on the housing question and in regard to separate treatment for Scotland?
§ Mr. BUCHANANIs it not the case that the largest corporation in Scotland, that of Glasgow, asked the Scottish Office to give a separate Bill?
§ Captain ELLIOTI have notice only of representations which have been received by the Scottish Office or the Scottish Board of Health, and we have not received these representations either at the Scottish Office or at the Scottish Board of Health.
§ Captain WEDGWOOD BENNHas the hon. and gallant Gentleman had no representation from the conference which met at Dundee on the 24th?
§ Captain ELLIOTNo, Sir.
§ Mr. MACPHERSONIs the hon. and gallant Gentleman not aware that these representations have been made, whether they have reached the Scottish Office or not?
§ Captain ELLIOTYes, but there is a difference between representations addressed, as the question puts it, specifically to the Scottish Office, and representations addressed to individual Members.
§ Captain BENNMay we take it, then, that the representation addressed to the hon. and gallant Gentleman as Under-Secretary for Scotland is not a valid representation and that of it no notice is taken?
§ Captain ELLIOTI have no such office, and, consequently, no such representation could be made, but in general the hon. and gallant Gentleman, who has held office himself, must be aware that representations to a Department are made officially to the Department.
§ 34. Mr. MILLARasked the Under-Secretary to the Scottish Board of Health if he can state the total number of houses allocated to Scotland under the Housing and Town Planning, etc. (Scotland), Act, 1919, and schemes approved thereunder, in respect of which the liability of local authorities as regards the deficit arising was restricted to four-fifths of a penny rate; the number of houses still to be provided under the 1919 Act; the total amount of the liability undertaken by the State in connection with the provision of the houses allocated to Scotland under the 1919 Act; the amount which represents the outstanding liability of the State as regards the houses not yet provided in Scotland under that Act; and the proportion which the total amount 1159 of the liability undertaken by the State for Scotland bears to that undertaken by the State for England and Wales?
§ Captain ELLIOTThe number of houses allocated to local authorities and public utility societies in Scotland under the Housing, Town Planning, etc. (Scotland), Act, 1919, is 25,550. While the Board's approval to schemes under that Act extended to a larger number of houses than 25,550, such approval under the Act and relative Regulations was, for subsidy purposes, limited to the number of houses that were completed before the end of the subsidy period, namely, August, 1922, which, however, was subsequently extended by two years in order to enable local authorities to complete houses for which tenders had been approved. Up to date about 16,600 houses have been completed and 8,950 are in course of construction or are not yet contracted for. In the circumstances it is not at present possible to state what the amount of the State liability will be, but it is estimated that it will not be less than £1,000,000 per annum. I understand that information regarding the liability of the State in respect of the provision of houses in England and Wales is being furnished to the hon. and learned Member in reply to his question addressed to my right hon. Friend the Minister of Health.
§ Mr. MILLARWill the hon. and gallant Member reply to the last part of the question, as to the proportion of State liability for Scotland compared with that for England and Wales?