§ 29. Mr. McKinlay forasked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many houses were under construction by local authorities in Scotland at the outbreak of war; how many of these houses have since been completed; how many more have been begun since the outbreak of war; and what progress is being made with the provision and reconditioning of houses for rural workers?
Mr. JohnstonThe number of houses under construction by Scottish local authorities at the outbreak of war was 28,537, and 18,829 of these houses have now been completed. Since the war 1,544 new houses for war workers have been commenced by local authorities, and 140 of them have been completed. The number of unfinished houses is 11,112. Work on 8,882 of these houses is being carried out as rapidly as the present shortage of labour and materials permits. Work on 587 the remaining houses has meantime been suspended. In addition, the Scottish Special Housing Association have completed 1,245 houses since the outbreak of war, and have at present 505 under construction. The number of houses reconstructed under the Housing (Rural Workers) (Scotland) Acts since the outbreak of war is 2,134, and the number of new houses provided by private individuals with assistance under the Housing (Agricultural Population) (Scotland) Act is 304.