HC Deb 25 February 1935 vol 298 cc918-22

Resolution reported, That, for the purposes of any Act of the present Session to make further and better provision for the prevention of overcrowding in Scotland, the re-development of areas in connection with the provision of housing accommodation, and the reconditioning of buildings, to make provision for the establishment in Scotland of a housing advisory committee and of commissions for the management of local authorities' houses, to amend the enactments relating to the housing operations of public utility societies and other bodies, to provide for the consolidation of housing accounts and subsidies, and to amend the enactments relating to housing in Scotland, and for purposes connected with the matters aforesaid (hereinafter referred to as 'the said Act of the present Session'), it is expedient to authorise the payment out of moneys provided by Parliament—

A.—Of such expenses as may be incurred by the Department of Health for Scotland (hereinafter referred to as 'the Department')—

  1. (1) in defraying the expenses of any Scottish Housing Advisory Committee appointed under the said Act of the present Session;
  2. (2) in making, during the five years next after the date on which the Department recognises any central association or other body established for the purpose 919 of promoting the formation and extension of housing associations and of giving them advice and assistance, grants in aid of the expenses of that association or body;
  3. (3) in making annual contributions towards expenses incurred by local authorities in providing, with the approval of the Department, housing accommodation required for the purpose of putting an end to overcrowding, or of providing for displacements occurring in carrying out re-development under the said Act of the present Session, being accommodation provided in houses the erection of which is begun on or after the first day of February, nineteen hundred and thirty-five, but so, however, that such a contribution shall be payable during a period of forty years only, and that the amount thereof shall be the sum of six pounds fifteen shillings in respect of each house, except that—
    1. (a) where it is necessary for a local authority, being the town council of a large burgh, to provide such accommodation on an extensive scale in one or more re-development areas, and the Department are satisfied that, by reason of the costliness of the provision so made, the total annual expenditure likely to be incurred by the local authority in providing such housing accommodation as aforesaid is substantially greater than the prescribed equivalent per house, the amount of the contribution in respect of a house in any such re-development area may be such larger sum than six pounds fifteen shillings, but not exceeding ten pounds fifteen shillings, as may be sanctioned by the Treasury; and
    2. (b) where the Department are satisfied that the total annual expenditure likely to be incurred by a local authority other than the town council of a large burgh in providing such housing accommodation as aforesaid is substantially greater than the prescribed equivalent per house, in consequence of the remoteness of the sites of any houses in which such accommodation is provided from centres of supply of building labour and material, and the impracticability of obtaining for such houses higher rents than are ordinarily payable by persons employed in agriculture or fishing, or by persons of a like economic condition, the amount of the contribution in respect of any such house may be such larger sum than six pounds fifteen shillings as may be sanctioned by the Treasury;

(4) in making, towards expenses incurred by housing associations in the provision of such housing accommodation as aforesaid under arrangements made with local authorities under the said Act of the present Session, the like contributions as if the accommodation had been provided by a local authority;

(5) in making in respect of works proposed to be executed by a local authority the like contributions as the Department might have made under the Housing (Rural Workers) Acts, 1926 and 1931, if the authority had made to another person in respect of the works the maximum grant permissible under those Acts.

B.—Of such additional sums as may become payable under Section twenty-three of the Housing (Scotland) Act, 1930, by reason of—

  1. (1) the extension of the provisions of that Section to expenses incurred by local authorities in providing, with the approval of the Department, accommodation required for providing for displacements, occurring in carrying out-re-development under the said Act of the present Session, from houses unfit for human habitation and not capable at reasonable expense of being rendered so fit, and in maintaining accommodation so provided;
  2. (2) any provisions of the said Act of the present Session enabling local authorities to include, in an area declared under the Housing (Scotland) Act, 1930, to be a clearance area, any land belonging to them and applying the provisions of that Act to land surrounded by or adjoining a clearance area and belonging to local authorities;
  3. (3) the making of contributions under the said Section twenty-three in respect of houses provided by housing associations under arrangements made under the said Act of the present Session;
  4. (4) any provision of the said Act of the present Session substituting for the provisions of Section twenty-five of the Housing (Scotland) Act, 1930, provisions requiring the Department, after the first day of October in the year nineteen hundred and thirty-seven and in each third succeeding year, to lay before the Commons House of Parliament a draft of an order providing in relation to contributions under the said Section twenty-three either—
    1. (a) for the termination of the Department's obligation to make such contributions in the case of new houses which have not been rendered available until after such date as may be provided for by the said Act of the present Session; or
    2. (b) for the continuance thereof without alterations; or
    3. (c) for the alteration of the amount of the contributions in the case aforesaid or of the period for which they are to be payable, or of both.

C.—Of such additional sums as may become payable under section four of the Housing (Rural Workers) Act, 1926, by reason of any provisions of the said Act of the present Session enabling the Department to make under the said section contributions towards expenses incurred by local authorities in making grants in respect of applications for assistance received before the twenty-fourth day of June, nineteen hundred and thirty-eight;

D.—Of such additional sums as may become payable under section five of the Housing, Town Planning, &c. (Scotland) Act, 1919, or under sub-section (3) of section one of the Housing, &c. Act, 1923, by reason of any provisions of the said Act of the present Session providing that as from the sixteenth day of May, nineteen hundred and thirty-five, the contributions for any financial year to be made by the Department under the said sections in respect of any scheme, other than a scheme for the provision of houses for persons in the employment of, or paid by, a local authority, shall—

  1. (1) in the case of contributions under the said section five, be the amount, if any, by which the balance of estimated expenditure over estimated income for that year in respect of the scheme exceeds an amount equal to the produce of a rate of four-fifths of one penny in the pound for that year levied in the authority's district;
  2. (2) in the case of contributions under the said sub-section (3) be an amount equal to one-half of such balance as aforesaid, save in so far as may be otherwise determined by the Department with the approval of the Treasury.

For the purposes of this Resolution— the expression "large burgh" has the like meaning as in the Local Government (Scotland) Act, 1929; the expression "prescribed equivalent" means the equivalent of ten pounds per annum for forty years or such other equivalent as may be substituted therefor by virtue or in consequence of any order made by the Department in pursuance of any provisions of the said Act of the present Session for the review of contributions thereunder; the expression "estimated" means (subject to the provisions of any agreement made before the sixteenth day of May, nineteen hundred and thirty-five)—

  1. (a) in relation to income, estimated upon the basis that income from rents is taken to be an amount equal to the 922 aggregate annual rents of the houses provided or acquired by the local authority under the scheme as accepted at the fifteenth day of May, nineteen hundred and thirty-five;
  2. (b) in relation to expenditure, estimated upon the basis that expenditure in respect of supervision and management, repairs, unoccupied houses, and irrecoverable rents, is taken to be an amount equal to the aggregate of the two following sums—
    1. (i) a sum bearing the same proportion to income from rents (estimated as aoresaid) as normal charges in respect of those matters during the five years ending on the fifteenth day of May, nineteen hundred and thirty-five, as accepted, bore to gross estimated rent income during those five years, as accepted; and
    2. (ii) a sum equal to 2 per cent. of income from rents (estimated as aforesaid);

the expression "accepted" means accepted by the Department for the purpose of the determination of the contribution payable by them in respect of the scheme;

the expression "normal charges" used in relation to repairs means as regards any year in which, in consequence of regulations made by the Department, no charge or a charge of less than 15 per cent, of the gross estimated rent was made in respect of repairs, a sum equal to the said 15 per cent."

The remaining Orders were read, and postponed.

It being after Half-past Eleven of the Clock upon Monday evening Mr. SPEAKER adjourned the House without Question put, pursuant to the Standing Order.

Adjourned at Twenty-four Minutes before Twelve o'Clock.