§ 25. Mr. MATHERSasked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he is aware of the charges made by tenants of houses protected under the Bents Restriction Act who sub-let part of their dwellings; and whether he proposes to take any steps to safeguard the position of those subtenants whose need for housing accommodation is being exploited?
§ Mr. JOHNSTONSection 7 of the Rent and Mortgage Interest Restrictions Act, 1923, prescribes the permitted increases in the rent of sub-tenancies. Sections 9 and 10 of the Increase of Rent and Mortgage Interest (Restrictions) Act, 1920, as amended by Section 10 of the Act of 1923, limit the rent of houses or parts of houses let furnished, and provide a penalty for excessive charges for furnished lettings, the maximum penalty being a fine of £100. Cases of contravention of these statutory provisions ought to be reported to the procurator-fiscal.
§ Mr. MATHERSIs the hon. Gentleman aware that these provisions are practically a dead letter, and that the people in sub-let rooms find themselves helpless?
§ Mr. JOHNSTONThe remedy is provided for in the Act. If any complaint were lodged with the procurator-fiscal, it would be the duty of the procurator-fiscal to act upon it.
§ 28. Mr. MACPHERSONasked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many houses for farm servants, and other rural workers, have been dealt with under the Scottish Housing Act passed for that purpose; if he will give the number for each county; and, in view of the need for improvement in rural housing, what steps he has taken, or proposes to take, to further such improvement?
§ Mr. JOHNSTONAs regards the first two parts of the question, I am circulating in the OFFICIAL REPORT a tabular statement containing particulars of the position in Scotland under the Housing (Rural Workers) Act, 1926, as at the 31st December, 1929, the latest date for which returns are available. As regards the last part, I am sending the right hon. Member a copy of a Circular issued in April last by the Department of Health for Scotland to all Scottish landward local authorities drawing attention to their statutory powers for dealing with defective houses occupied by farm servants and urging systematic inspection and necessary action. Since that date the Department have been in communication with individual local authorities with a view to their taking steps to improve the condition of houses occupied by farm servants.
§ Following is the tabular statement: 1133
| HOUSING (RURAL WORKERS) ACT, 1926. | ||||||
| Position in Scotland as at 31st December, 1929. | ||||||
| Local Authority. | Number of Dwellings in respect of which— | |||||
| Application has been made. | Certificate has been granted. | Work has been finished. | Work has been commenced but not finished. | |||
| 1. | 2. | 3. | 4. | 5. | ||
| Aberdeen County: | ||||||
| Aberdeen District | … | … | 77 | 77 | 48 | 23 |
| Alford District | … | … | 8 | 8 | 2 | 6 |
| Deer District | … | … | 163 | 163 | 83 | 80 |
| Deeside District | … | … | 13 | 13 | 9 | 4 |
| Ellon District | … | … | 47 | 47 | 32 | 15 |
| Garioch District | … | … | 48 | 40 | 36 | 3 |
| Huntly District | … | … | 13 | 12 | 10 | — |
| Turriff District | … | … | 47 | 47 | 31 | 16 |
| Huntly Burgh | … | … | 5 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| Inverurie Burgh | … | … | 10 | 10 | 10 | — |
| Angus County: | ||||||
| Arbroath District | … | … | 11 | 6 | 3 | 8 |
| Brechin District | … | … | 8 | 8 | 6 | 2 |
| Dundee District | … | … | 45 | 45 | 19 | 22 |
| Forfar District | … | … | 36 | 32 | 29 | 3 |
| Argyll County: | ||||||
| Cowal District | … | … | — | — | — | — |
| Lorn District | … | … | 5 | 5 | 3 | 2 |
| Mid Argyll District | … | … | 16 | 16 | 7 | 9 |
| Ayr County: | ||||||
| Ayr District | … | … | 7 | 5 | 5 | — |
| Carrick District | … | … | 14 | 14 | 13 | 1 |
| Kilmarnock District | … | … | 14 | 14 | 1 | 7 |
| Northern District | … | … | 1 | 1 | 1 | — |
| Banff County: | ||||||
| Banff District | … | … | 15 | 13 | 10 | 3 |
| Keith District | … | … | 7 | 7 | 5 | 2 |
| Cullen Burgh | … | … | — | — | — | — |
| Keith Burgh | … | … | 1 | 1 | 1 | — |
| Portknockie Burgh | … | … | 4 | 4 | 3 | 1 |
| Berwick County: | ||||||
| East District | … | … | 85 | 65 | 22 | 32 |
| Mid District | … | … | 100 | 83 | 59 | 24 |
| West District | … | … | 69 | 69 | 32 | 37 |
| Bute County: | ||||||
| Bute District | … | … | — | — | — | — |
| Cumbrae District | … | … | — | — | — | — |
| Caithness County | … | … | 150 | 62 | 37 | 25 |
| Clackmannan County | … | … | 36 | 27 | 3 | 24 |
| Alva Burgh | … | … | 1 | — | — | — |
| Dumfries County: | ||||||
| Annan District | … | … | 11 | 11 | 7 | 4 |
| Dumfries District | … | … | 15 | 5 | 12 | 3 |
| Langholm District | … | … | 28 | 28 | 18 | 10 |
| Lockerbie District | … | … | 24 | 24 | 15 | 9 |
| Thornhill District | … | … | 8 | 8 | 3 | 5 |
| Local Authority. | Number of Dwellings in respect of which— | |||||
| Application has been made. | Certificate has been granted. | Work has been finished. | Work has been commenced but not finished. | |||
| 1. | 2. | 3. | 4. | 5. | ||
| Dunbarton County: | ||||||
| Eastern District | … | … | 30 | 8 | 4 | 4 |
| Western District | … | … | 17 | 17 | 11 | 6 |
| East Lothian County: | ||||||
| Eastern District | … | … | 204 | 201 | 71 | 197 |
| Western District | … | … | 438 | 436 | 306 | 125 |
| Fife County: | ||||||
| Cupar District | … | … | 65 | 65 | 26 | 39 |
| Dunfermline District | … | 65 | 58 | 34 | 22 | |
| Kirkcaldy District | … | … | 15 | 15 | 7 | 8 |
| St. Andrews District | … | … | 27 | 25 | 19 | 6 |
| Dunfermline Burgh | … | … | 5 | 5 | — | 5 |
| Inverness County: | ||||||
| Aird District | … | … | 15 | 11 | 4 | 1 |
| Badenoch District | … | … | 3 | 3 | 3 | — |
| Inverness District | … | … | 23 | 20 | 6 | 14 |
| Lochaber District | … | … | — | — | — | — |
| Skye District | … | … | — | — | — | — |
| Kincardine County: | ||||||
| Laurencekirk District | … | 24 | 24 | 9 | 12 | |
| Lower Deeside District | … | — | — | — | — | |
| St. Cyrus District | … | … | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Stonehaven District | … | … | 14 | 14 | 10 | 4 |
| Upper Deeside District | … | 7 | 7 | 6 | 1 | |
| Kinross County | … | … | — | — | — | — |
| Kirkcudbright County: | ||||||
| Eastern District | … | … | 41 | 40 | 27 | 18 |
| Northern District | … | … | 10 | 10 | 7 | 2 |
| Southern District | … | … | 51 | 49 | 33 | 18 |
| Western District | … | … | 10 | 10 | 7 | 3 |
| Gatehouse Burgh | … | … | 2 | 2 | 2 | — |
| Kirkcudbright Burgh | … | — | — | — | — | |
| Lanark County: | ||||||
| Lower Ward District | … | 13 | 2 | — | — | |
| Middle Ward District | … | 28 | 28 | 2 | 12 | |
| Upper Ward District | … | … | 81 | 81 | 32 | 49 |
| Motherwell Burgh | … | … | — | — | — | — |
| Midlothian County: | ||||||
| Calder District | … | … | 8 | 8 | — | 5 |
| Gala Water District | … | … | 12 | 12 | 11 | 1 |
| Lasswade District | … | … | 37 | 37 | 25 | 12 |
| Edinburgh Burgh | … | … | 21 | 14 | — | 14 |
| Moray County | … | … | 168 | 159 | 103 | 56 |
| Elgin Burgh | … | … | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| Nairn County | … | … | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| Peebles County | … | … | 47 | 47 | 32 | 16 |
| Peebles Burgh | … | … | 1 | 1 | — | — |
| Local Authority. | Number of dwellings in respect of which— | |||||
| Application has been made. | Certificate has been granted. | Work has been finished. | Work has been commenced but not finished. | |||
| 1. | 2. | 3. | 4. | 5. | ||
| Perth County: | ||||||
| Central District | … | … | 32 | 32 | 5 | 27 |
| Eastern District | … | … | 57 | 50 | 25 | 25 |
| Highland District | … | … | 29 | 29 | 17 | 12 |
| Perth District | … | … | 247 | 202 | 91 | 156 |
| Western District | … | … | 32 | 32 | 6 | 28 |
| Ross and Cromarty County: | ||||||
| Black Isle District | … | … | 57 | 44 | 17 | 21 |
| Easter Ross District | … | … | 63 | 61 | 56 | 4 |
| Mid Ross District | … | … | 105 | 79 | 61 | 18 |
| South Eastern District | … | 159 | 137 | 69 | 18 | |
| Roxburgh County: | ||||||
| Hawick District | … | … | 69 | 57 | 26 | 29 |
| Jedburgh District | … | … | 71 | 71 | 39 | 31 |
| Kelso District | … | … | 66 | 66 | 44 | 22 |
| Liddesdale District | … | … | 6 | 5 | 4 | 1 |
| Melrose District | … | … | 31 | 31 | 19 | 6 |
| Melrose Burgh | … | … | — | — | — | — |
| Selkirk County | … | … | 68 | 68 | 47 | 21 |
| Stirling County: | ||||||
| Central District | … | … | 19 | 19 | 13 | 6 |
| Western District | … | … | 40 | 24 | 14 | 10 |
| West Lothian: | ||||||
| Bathgate District | … | … | 3 | 3 | — | — |
| Linlithgow District | … | … | 92 | 86 | 34 | 34 |
| Wigtown County: | ||||||
| Machars District | … | … | 16 | 15 | 11 | 4 |
| Rhins District | … | … | 12 | 9 | 3 | 6 |
| Total | … | … | 3,909 | 3,518 | 1,981 | 1,506 |