§ 29. Mr. GUYasked the Secretary of State for Scotland the total number of houses demolished to date by the Edinburgh Corporation under the two St. Leopards improvement schemes and the number of houses built on the cleared sites?
§ The SECRETARY of STATE for SCOTLAND (Mr. Elliot)At 30th November out of 2,219 occupied houses scheduled for demolition 1,762 had been 2253 demolished. The total number of houses to be built on the cleared sites is approximately 290, of which 146 have already been completed.
§ Mr. GUYDoes my right hon. Friend realise that there is a strong demand for the new houses in the central sites and, with due regard to density reduction, does he not consider that there might be better progress made in demolition and the provision of new houses on the cleared site?
§ Mr. ELLIOTI am not at all satisfied with the progress of housing in any of the main centres of Scotland.
§ 30. Mr. GUYasked the Secretary of State for Scotland the number of houses built by the Edinburgh Corporation in the financial years 1934, 1935, and 1936?
§ Mr. ELLIOTThe numbers of houses completed in the years referred to were 1,848, 838, and 432 respectively.
§ Mr. GUYDoes my right hon. Friend consider that the excuse put forward, namely, the shortage of bricklayers, is a sufficient excuse for this very sharp drop in the number of houses?
§ Mr. ELLIOTI am examining that now. I do not think that there can be any excuse for a drop of that size.
§ Mr. KIRKWOODIs it not the case that in 1934 there were over 1,000 houses built, and in 1936 about 400? What is the explanation for the difference, seeing that it is not a Labour town council that is operating in Edinburgh?
§ Mr. ELLIOTThe number was 1,800, and it fell to 432. I think this fall in both Glasgow and Edinburgh is greatly to be deplored.
§ Mr. GUYasked the Secretary of State for Scotland the number of condemned houses in Edinburgh which are still occupied and the number of houses which were found to be overcrowded by the survey made under the Housing (Scotland) Act, 1935?
§ Mr. ELLIOTAt 30th November the number of occupied houses to be demolished or closed under orders made by the corporation was 715. It is estimated that there are approximately 6,000 unfit houses in the city which have not yet 2254 been made the subject of official representations by the medical officer of health. The number of overcrowded houses revealed by the survey was 19,746, comprising 2,645 unfit and 17,101 fit houses.
§ Mr. GUYDo not these figures indicate that the Edinburgh Corporation will have to build considerably more than 1,000 new houses per annum to overhaul the arrears
§ Mr. ELLIOTI think they will be a long time overhauling the arrears at the present rate.
§ 37. Mr. WATSONasked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether his attention has been called to the attempt to induce bricklayers to leave the municipal housing scheme at Cowdenbeath, Fife, for other work; whether, in fact, any have left; and whether, in view of the shortage of men on that job, lie can do anything to prevent bricklayers leaving schemes where municipal houses are urgently required?
§ Mr. ELLIOTI am informed that two bricklayers have recently left the scheme in question for employment with another firm of contractors. With regard to the last part of the question, I am fully aware of the difficulties arising from the shortage of building labour in Scotland and am at present in consultation with my right hon. Friend the Minister of Labour on the subject. I have, however, no power to prevent workmen transferring their labour.