§ 4. Mr. ANSTRUTHER-GRAYasked the Secretary of State for Scotland, what steps are being taken to rehouse those persons at present living in condemned houses at Whiterigg, Lanarkshire?
§ The UNDER-SECRETARY of STATE for SCOTLAND (Mr. Skelton)I am informed that new houses are to be provided at Plains for the accommodation of families to be displaced from condemned houses at Whiterigg, Lanarkshire.
§ Mr. ANSTRUTHER-GRAYIs my hon. Friend aware that this district of Whiterigg is a community in itself, and that there is the strongest possible local feeling against being transfered to another authority where the prospects of work are no better?
§ Mr. SKELTONIf I understand it aright, the village of Plains is about a mile and a-half from Whiterigg. It is a question exclusively for the local authorities where the replacement houses should be built and one in which I have no locus standi.
§ Mr. ANSTRUTHER-GRAYCan my hon. Friend give an undertaking that local feeling will be taken into consideration?
§ Mr. SKELTONThat, one would suppose, is primarily a question for the local authority, who must be closely in touch with local feeling.
§ 6. Miss HORSBRUGHasked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many houses of the five-years slum-clearance scheme have been completed in Dundee; how many are under construction; and for how many more tenders have been approved but building not yet begun?
§ Mr. SKELTONAt 30th November, 1934, the latest date to which information is available, no houses forming part of the local authority's slum clearance programme for the five years 1934–38 had been completed. The number of such houses under construction at that date was 197, and building had not been begun on a further 38 approved. During the present year, however, 199 houses for replacement of unfit houses were completed under approvals given prior to 1934.
§ Miss HORSBRUGHCan my hon. Friend suggest any steps which should be taken by the local authorities to expedite the matter, seeing that it is only replacement houses on schemes several years old that have been built, and the five years programme has not been really attacked?
| Local Authority. | Needs. Houses. (1) | Programme. Houses. (2) | Tenders approved. (3) | Houses completed. (4) | Houses under construction. (5) | |||
| Per cent. | Per cent. | Per cent. | ||||||
| Dundee | … | … | … | 3,603 | 2,000* | 11.7 | Nil | 9.9 |
| Edinburgh | … | … | … | 5,000 | 5,000 | 20.2 | 1.0 | 17.1 |
| Glasgow | … | … | … | 15,000 | 8,000* | 62.6 | 15.4 | 33.8 |
| Perth | … | … | … | 214 | 214 | 100 | Nil | 87.9 |
| Aberdeen | … | … | … | 3,159 | 2,000* | 27.9 | 2.7 | 18.0 |
§ Note.—The figures in (4) and (5) are included in those given in (3).
§ * The Local Authority has agreed to build as many more houses in excess of this number as they can.
§ 10. Mr. McGOVERNasked the Secretary of State for Scotland the number of houses in Glasgow which have had closing orders passed on them and the number of condemned house at present?
§ Sir G. COLLINS1,188 houses, which are still occupied, have been made the subject of demolition or closing orders or other equivalent action under the Housing (Scotland) Act, 1930. With regard to the second part of the question, it is estimated that there are at
§ Mr. SKELTONMy information is that in the course of the present month the Department will receive tenders for 618 houses, and that a scheme for a further 700 houses at Beechwood is being expedited.
§ 7. Miss HORSBRUGHasked the Secretary of State for Scotland what percentage of houses included in the slum-clearance scheme have been completed, are in process of construction, and for which tenders have been approved in Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Perth and Aberdeen, respectively?
§ Mr. SKELTONAs the answer involves a number of figures, I will, with my hon. Friend's permission, circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
§ Following is the answer:
§ It is assumed that the percentages desired are those relating to the slum-clearance programmes for the five years 1934–38, and the figures given in columns (3), (4) and (5) of the following table are based on these programmes. The figures for Glasgow and Perth are for the period to 31st October, and for Dundee, Edinburgh and Aberdeen, to 30th November, the latest dates to which information is available.
§ present between 10,000 and 11,000 houses in Glasgow which are unfit for human habitation.
§ Mr. McGOVERNWill the right hon. Gentleman consider the advisability of bringing renewed pressure to bear in connection with private houses, owing to the danger to child life arising from this situation?
§ Sir G. COLLINSI am sure that the Glasgow Corporation are fully alive to 183 the necessity of dealing with the matter. I can assure my hon. Friend that they are very anxious to push forward with these matters at a very early date.
§ Sir JOSEPH NALLIs it the practice in Scotland to order clearances before the alternative houses are available, or are the clearances suspended until the new houses are available?
§ Sir G. COLLINSI should not like to answer that particular question directly, but I understand that the two matters go hand in hand.