§ 44. Mr. KIRKWOODasked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he will inform the House of the annual output of houses in Aberdeen, Dundee, and Edinburgh in each of the last three years; and whether any action has been taken by the respective town councils to accelerate the output?
The UNDER-SECRETARY of STATE for SCOTLAND (Mr. Wedderburn)Inquiries are being made to obtain the information desired and when these are completed I shall furnish the hon. Member with the results.
§ 47. Mr. MATHERSasked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he will make arrangements to obviate the inconvenience and overcrowding of families in Fauldhouse, West Lothian, through their eviction from houses owned by the United Collieries, Limited, and required for their workmen; whether he is prepared to protect tenants from eviction in such cases until new houses are available; and whether he can account for the delay in proceeding with approved housing schemes at Fauldhouse?
Mr. WEDDERBURNThe responsibility for making arrangements for the accommodation of the ejected families so far as they are themselves unable to find accommodation rests on the local authority. I understand that all of the eight families ejected have secured accommodation elsewhere, three of them in houses belonging to the local authority. My right hon. Friend has no power to intervene in the case of any decree given by a Sheriff for the ejection of tenants from private houses. With regard to the last part of the question, the county council have already built 302 houses in Fauldhouse. Tenders for an additional 34 houses were approved in April, 1936. Twelve are now in an advanced stage of construction. The delay 2456 in completing the houses is due mainly to a shortage of building labour.
§ Mr. MATHERSIn view of the fact that this is not an entirely isolated case, will the right hon. Gentleman the Secretary of State for Scotland take into consideration the possibility of making some provision other than is available at the present time for people who are evicted from houses because of the stoppage of their employment with the employers who own the houses?
Mr. WEDDERBURNI think the only method of providing houses is to accelerate the building programme. I do not know whether any special arrangements can be made to provide houses for people who have been evicted from other houses beyond those which are open to the generality of applicants.
§ Mr. CASSELLSArising out of the reply, is not this a definite illustration of the vicious nature of the system of decontrolling dwelling-houses?
Mr. WEDDERBURNNo. These houses were never subject to control. I have studied the correspondence on this subject sent to me by the hon. Member, but I do not think it would be proper for me to give any opinion of my own, since it is not a matter for which my right hon. Friend is responsible.
§ Mr. R. J. TAYLORIs the hon. Gentleman aware that this is not only applicable to Scotland, but to parts of England, and South Wales—
§ Mr. G. GRIFFITHSAnd Yorkshire.
§ Mr. TAYLOR—and that when men have reached the age of 65 and the employers no longer require them, they are evicted from their houses, and the houses—