§ 38. Mr. Stephenasked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he is aware that 18 tenants of houses at 155, Orr Street, Glasgow, have received notice to look for other housing accommodation; whether he has now made inquiry as to whether the houses in question are controlled; and, if so, will he take steps to assist the people concerned with the necessary legal assistance to retain them in possession of their houses or provide them with alternative accommodation, as provided for by the Rent Restrictions Acts?
§ Mr. ElliotI have no information regarding the first part of the question. As regards the second part, I have no power to intervene in a matter of this kind. Any dispute regarding the right of the owner of a house, whether controlled or decontrolled, to obtain possession thereof can be determined only by the courts. As regards the last part, if the tenants are poor persons who require legal assistance they should apply to the sheriff clerk.
§ Mr. StephenIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that some factors are sending out notices as if they were official court notices, and will he make it clear that in the case of these controlled houses an order of the court is necessary?
§ Mr. ElliotI hope the hon. Gentleman's question and the answer to it will call attention to the matter.
§ 53. Mr. Malcolm MacMillanasked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he is aware of the complaints about serious delay in payment of grants for reconstruction of houses under the Rural Workers Housing Acts in the Western Isles; that, even after repairs are completed, grants are often delayed and suppliers of building material hesitate to grant supplies at long credit; and what action he will take to remedy these difficulties?
§ Mr. ElliotI have received no complaint regarding delay in the payment of grants in respect of the reconstruction of houses under the Housing (Rural Workers) Acts in the Western Isles. If, however, the hon. Member will furnish me with particulars of any cases which have come to his notice I shall be glad to look into them.
§ 55. Mr. Westwoodasked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he is now in a position to state what progress has been made with the building industry for supplementing or increasing the available labour for housing construction?
§ Mr. ElliotA further meeting was held on 17th July of the Official Joint Sub-Committee of the Scottish National Joint Council for the Building Industry. I am glad to say that the committee unanimously agreed to regard the question of the acceleration of housing progress as a matter demanding urgent attention. It was agreed, therefore:
1. That a Joint Consultative Committee constituted of representatives of employers' and operatives' organisations and of Government departments shall be appointed. The general objective of this committee shall be to assist in attaining and ensuring the most expeditious and efficient means of completing the Government building programme and the housing programmes of local authorities in Scotland, while, at the same time, avoiding or minimising any disturbing effects upon the efficient organisation of the building industry and/or upon the normal industrial and commercial development on which its permanent welfare depends.
2. To recommend to the appropriate committees under the Scottish National Joint Council for the Building Industry to give sympathetic consideration to applications for overtime where necessity is proved;
1966 3. That where it is proved in any district that there is a shortage of labour, the matter should be dealt with by the appropriate Apprenticeship Committee under the Scottish National Joint Council for the Building Industry, in consultation with the Joint Consultative Committee if necessary, and the augmentation, if any, should be governed by a general quota of one apprentice to three journeymen in respect of each craft.
It was further agreed to proceed at once with the setting up of the Joint Consultative Committee and to hold the first meeting at an early date.
§ 56. Mr. Westwoodasked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many housing authorities have standardised rents under Section 47, Sub-section (5), of the Housing (Scotland) Act, 1935; how many have adopted a scheme of rebates for which discretionary power is given by the same Section; and the names of the authorities?
§ Mr. ElliotEleven local authorities have intimated that they have standardised rents and adopted schemes of rebates, namely, the county councils of East Lothian, Roxburgh and Stirling, and the town councils of Aberdeen, Denny, Duns, Grangemouth, Hawick, Kirkcaldy, Leslie and St. Andrews. In addition, Midlothian County Council have standardised rents but have not adopted a general scheme of rebates. Other authorities may have standardised rents and /or adopted schemes of rebates though they have not informed me of the fact.
§ 57. Mr. Westwoodasked the Secretary of State for Scotland the total number of housing authorities who have intimated their intention of either ceasing building, or reducing the number of houses to be built, because of rising costs and/or inadequate subsidy, the names of the authorities and the number of houses involved?
§ Mr. ElliotIn addition to the 10 authorities mentioned in the answer given to the hon. Member's question on this subject on 23rd June, five authorities have intimated that they are either postponing further housing developments or reducing the number of houses to be built. These authorities are the town councils of Auchtermuchty, Culross, Inverurie and Pittenweem, and the 1967 county council of Peebles. I regret that it is impossible to give the number of houses involved as the decisions in some of these cases do not refer to specific housing schemes but to further housing operations as a whole.
§ Mr. WestwoodIs the right hon. Gentleman sure that the 15 he has mentioned is the total number of the authorities in Scotland who have decided not to proceed with housing unless there is an increase in subsidy or a reduction in costs?
§ Mr. ElliotThese are the only ones that have intimated so to me.
§ Mr. MathersDoes not the fact that there are even 15 which have indicated that they must stop house building in present conditions point to the necessity for more energy on the part of the right hon. Gentleman?
§ Mr. ElliotYes, but the energy should be applied to completing the 25,000 under construction and the 13,000 which are not yet begun, rather than to new schemes.