HC Deb 11 July 1935 vol 304 cc492-3
65. Mr. GUY

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he will state what steps he has taken, and proposes to take, to expedite the slum-clearance and housing schemes of the Edinburgh Corporation for the current year?

The UNDER-SECRETARY of STATE for SCOTLAND (Mr. Skelton)

The Department of Health, in accordance with the instructions of my right hon. Friend, keeps in close touch with the Corporation of Edinburgh, as with other housing authorities, with regard to their housing programme. The resulting position is as follows:

The Corporation proposed to build annually during the five years 750 slum clearance houses and subsequently agreed to increase this number to 1,000, if circumstances permitted. In fact, tenders were approved for 1,006 houses for the first year. The majority of these are now completed and the remainder are nearing completion. With regard to the second year, that is the current year, tenders have been approved, or will shortly be submitted, for approximately 600 houses. Further, it is understood that plans are in course of preparation and adjustment in connection with the second year programme for approximately a further 510 houses. It is anticipated that a certain number of these will be for the purpose of dealing with overcrowding under the Bill at present before Parliament. It is impossible to say at present how many houses will be completed during the second year.

Mr. GUY

While thanking my hon. Friend for his reply, may I ask whether his attention has been called to a statement by the Socialist convenor of the Edinburgh housing committee that the Edinburgh housing scheme has been retarded by the action of the Department of Health, and whether there is any truth in that statement?

Mr. SKELTON

I have seen such a statement in the Press, but I do not think there is any truth at all in it. There was one matter in regard to which there was a misunderstanding between the Corporation and the Department. The Corporation announced that they proposed to build some houses under the Bill at present before Parliament and they took that to be a formal application, but the Department—and I think rightly—could not regard it as a formal application. Apart from that, there is a certain question as to what number of two-roomed houses, if any, the Corporation should be allowed to build, but I do not think that anything that happened can be regarded as delaying the housing programme.

Mr. KIRKWOOD

Is it not the case that the Tory Council of Edinburgh stopped a slum clearance scheme and that the Government stepped in—

Mr. SPEAKER

Mr. Mander.