§ 11. Sir JOHN TRAINasked the Secretary of State for Scotland the number of houses built by the Glasgow Corporation in the years 1929, 1934, 1935, and 1936
§ Mr. ELLIOTThe numbers of houses completed by the Corporation during the years in question are as follow:—
| in 1929 | 6,388 |
| in 1934 | 4,439 |
| and in 1935 | 3,878 |
§ For 1936, the number completed up to 31st October was 1,591.
§ Sir J. TRAINIs my right hon. Friend satisfied that the progress of housing in Glasgow is satisfactory?
§ Mr. ELLIOTNo, Sir, I have already said that I am not, and I hope and believe that the corporation are not satisfied either.
Mr. DAVIDSONIs the right hon. Gentleman satisfied that the houses built by the corporation are superior in every way to the houses built by private enterprise?
§ Mr. ELLIOTNo, Sir.
§ Mr. T. JOHNSTONHas the attention of the right hon. Gentleman been drawn to the statement made by Sir William Whyte, at the National Town-Planning Conference, that building trade labour on municipal schemes is being deliberately prejudiced?
§ Mr. ELLIOTI have seen Sir William Whyte's statement.
§ 16. Mr. STEPHENasked the Secretary of State for Scotland the number of single apartments in the Camlachie Parliamentary Division of Glasgow in which six or more human beings are living at the present time; and the number of cases in such houses in which members of the household are suffering from tuberculosis or other notifiable diseases?
§ Mr. ELLIOTAccording to information obtained by the corporation in the course of the overcrowding survey made at the end of 1935, there were at that time in the Camlachie Division 228 single apartments in which six or more individuals were living. The number of cases of tuberculosis or other notifiable disease in such apartments was two, living in different apartments.
§ 18. Mr. STEPHENasked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many schemes for rehousing in Glasgow were submitted for approval by his Department last year, the number of houses to be provided by such schemes, how many were approved, and the corresponding figures for the ensuing year; and whether he is satisfied that what is proposed is adequate in view of the housing conditions in the city and, if not, what steps he proposes to take to expedite the proposed programme of the corporation?
§ Mr. ELLIOTIn 1935, 15 housing schemes were submitted and approved, providing in all for 2,765 houses which will be used for the replacement of unfit houses and the relief of overcrowding. In 1936, to 27th November, 14 schemes have been submitted and approved, providing for 2,729 houses. With regard to the last part of the question, I would refer to the reply given to the hon. Member for the Gorbals Division (Mr. Buchanan) on this subject on 24th November.
§ Mr. STEPHENIn view of the inadequacy of the preparation for housing, will the right hon. Gentleman seek for a special meeting of the Glasgow Corporation Housing Committee in order to get something done in the matter?
§ Lieut.-Colonel MOORECan the Secretary of State take any steps to point out to the people who are lacking houses in Glasgow their lack of foresight in electing a Socialist corporation in Glasgow?
Mr. DAVIDSONWill the right hon. Gentleman, in considering this question, advise the Glasgow Council that at least he will recommend the Government to increase the subsidy?
§ Sir J. TRAINIs it the case that the Glasgow Corporation are now carrying out their housing schemes in some respects with direct labour; and will the Minister, in his negotiations with the 1001 Glasgow Corporation, insist on their employing the number of apprentices allowed by the trade unions, to train them in house-building?
§ Mr. ELLIOTI do not think that that arises out of the question.
§ 20. Mr. BUCHANANasked the Secretary of State for Scotland the number of houses of two apartments and one apartment in Glasgow in which one or more of the occupants is suffering from tuberculosis or other disease which is notifiable?
§ Mr. ELLIOTThe answer to the question is 3,760.
§ 21. Mr. BUCHANANasked the Secretary of State for Scotland the number of single-apartment houses in Glasgow which are occupied by four persons or more; and the number of houses in Glasgow of two apartments occupied by six persons or more?
§ Mr. ELLIOTAccording to the recent report on overcrowding submitted by the corporation, 4,638 single-apartment houses were occupied by four or more persons, and 9,786 two-apartment houses were occupied by six or more persons. I should ad I that in arriving at these figures no account is taken of children under one year of age, and two children between the ages of one and 10 years are reckoned as one adult person.
§ Mr. BUCHANANIn view of the conditions, cannot the Secretary of State again take up with the corporation this terrible question, which, apart from other reasons, is really a grave social question?
§ Mr. ELLIOTIt was one of the first questions to which I directed my attention on taking up this office, and I assure the hon. Member that I am keeping it very closely under my consideration at the a present moment.
§ Mr. GALLACHERCan the right hon. Gentleman tell the House that these single-apartment houses, and the crowding of families into them, were not the responsibility of the Socialist administration in Glasgow?
§ Mr. ELLIOTHousing in Glasgow is the responsibility of the Corporation of Glasgow. It does not matter what its political complexion is; the main thing 1002 that is necessary is to get rid of these terrible conditions at the earliest possible moment.
§ Mr. MAXTONDoes the right hon. Gentleman suggest that Members from Glasgow should keep silent about this matter?
§ 22. Mr. BUCHANANasked the Secretary of State for Scotland the number of houses completed until the latest date this year and the number likely to be completed by the end of the year; the number of houses completed last year and in 1930; and the cost to the local rates for housing this year and the cost to local rates in 1935, 1934, and 1930?
§ Mr. ELLIOTI take it that the hon. Member's question relates to Glasgow. The corporation have completed 1,591 houses in 1936 up to the end of October, and I am informed that they hope to complete an additional 600 by the end of the year. In 1935 they completed 3,878 houses, and in 1930 3,228. The Glasgow housing rate for 1929–30 was 4.74d. in the pound. In later years no specific housing rate was levied, but on a comparable basis the estimated burden of housing on the local rates was, in 1934–35, 1.60d. in the pound, and in 1935–36, 1.39d.
§ Mr. JOHNSTONHas the right hon. Gentleman any information to the effect that building trade workers are dragged away to the building of cinemas, banks, munition factories and so on, by higher wages, and taken away from municipal corporation schemes; and is that statement made upon the authority of Sir William Whyte?
§ Mr. BUCHANANIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that these men who are alleged to be dragged away are good trade unionists—as good as any? Might I ask him again to go into the whole question of housing conditions in Glasgow, and see if there is anything that he can do to expedite at least a facing up to this problem?
§ Mr. ELLIOTI have given my assurance that I have this matter under careful consideration. In reply to the right hon. Gentleman's supplementary question as to the taking away of labour from one job to another, I think it is a very serious thing if in Scotland, where there is so much unemployment, it should be re- 1003 garded as a bad thing that there should be more jobs available than there are men to fill them.