§ 36. Mr. Boothbyasked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he is preparing 188 plans to deal with the serious housing shortage which will exist in Scotland after the war; and whether these plans include the establishment, with adequate powers, of a Scottish National Housing Corporation?
Mr. JohnstonComprehensive plans are being made to meet our grave housing problem. The plans include measures for the necessary expansion of the building industry, for the acquisition of sites, for alternative methods of building, and for the provision of emergency housing accommodation. As regards the second part of the Question, we already have a national housing building agency in Scotland—the Scottish Special Housing Association. This association is a non-profit-making body which supplements the operations of the local authorities. The association can provide houses in any part of Scotland and I am at present planning for a large-scale programme of building by the association after the war.
§ Mr. BoothbyWill my right hon. Friend take into consideration the possibility of extending the statutory powers of this association if that should prove to be desirable?
Mr. JohnstonCertainly, but I have heard no suggestion that its statutory powers are unnecessarily limited at the moment.
37. Mr. McNeilasked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether the committee appointed by him to advise on housing has now completed its work?
Mr. JohnstonThe Scottish Housing Advisory Committee was reconstituted in August, 1942, and was asked to report on the design and layout of houses, on the provision of furniture by local authorities for their houses and on the measures required to secure the most appropriate distribution of houses in the immediate post-war years. I have just received the Committee's Report on the first two of these inquiries. The Report on the distribution of houses should be completed by the spring of next year.
Mr. McNeilWill a section of this Report, which I assume is to be published, although the right hon. Gentleman does not say so, deal with the immediate requirements of Scottish housing?