31. Lieut.-Commander Clark Hutchisonasked the Secretary of State for Scotland when power will be given to local authorities to allow private houses to be built.
§ 33. Mr. Spenceasked the Secretary of State for Scotland when he will resume the granting of licences for the building of double cottar houses.
§ The Joint Under-Secretary of State for Scotland (Mr. J. J. Robertson)The issue of licences for private houses including double cottar houses is at present authorised where the houses are urgently required for miners, agricultural workers, and other special needs. How soon this control can be relaxed in favour of other classes of the community depends on the progress made in completing houses already approved.
Lieut.-Commander HutchisonIs the Under-Secretary aware that on 21st December he indicated to the Aberdeenshire Housing Committee that it might be possible to raise this ban in April, and can he comment on that?
§ Mr. RobertsonThe position is being watched closely from month to month, and it may be possible, after the two bad building months of February and March have passed, to look at it more favourably.
36. Commander Galbraithasked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the average time now taken to build a permanent traditional house in Scotland.
§ Mr. RobertsonOwing to the varying circumstances of different housing schemes, some of which have houses on which no work whatever was done for periods in 1947 because of material shortages, no reliable average figure can be given. With the improved supply of materials for houses under construction, however, and the increasing rate of completion there is evidence that the rate of building has improved in recent months.
Commander GalbraithIs the Minister aware that his right hon. Friend the Minister of Works has stated the time it takes to complete houses in England? Why could the hon. Gentleman not give similar information in regard to Scotland?
§ Mr. RobertsonAs I have stated, the position is rather different in Scotland due to the fact that a larger number of houses were under construction there. Therefore, the comparison could not be made accurately.
§ Mr. Peter ThorneycroftDo not the answers of the hon. Gentleman really mean that an average time could quite well be given but that that average time is very long indeed?
§ 38. Mr. Thornton-Kemsleyasked the Secretary of State for Scotland on what basis the four firms who are to be allowed to tender for the erection of Swedish timber houses in the seven Highland counties to which they have been allocated were selected; and if he is satisfied that there are no other large Scottish contractors capable of carrying out this work.
§ Mr. RobertsonThese firms, all of whom have the large-scale organisations necessary for this programme, were selected because of their experience of building in the Highlands and Islands, and of building prefabricated timber houses. Since the programme is limited to 1,000 houses, it was thought that a list of four contractors from whom local authorities could obtain competitive offers would suffice.
§ Mr. Thornton-KemsleyIs the hon. Gentleman aware that many large firms who are at present carrying out contract work for local authorities, to the entire satisfaction of those local authorities, are precluded from tendering because of this regulation; and does he not think it more right and proper that in a case of this kind the Government should confine their activities to drawing up an approved list of contractors from whom the local authorities could make their choice?
§ Mr. RobertsonIt was considered necessary to draw up the contracts in this way in the interests of speed. The letting out of contracts would have delayed the operation, which was rather urgent.
§ Mrs. Jean MannIs it not the case that Weir's Housing Corporation, of Coatbridge, in whose factory £200,000 has been spent on plant, can produce a far better and very much cheaper house than one of Swedish timber?
§ Mr. RobertsonThat question does not arise.
§ Mr. Thornton-KemsleyIn view of the unsatisfactory nature of the answers to this Question, I beg to give notice that I shall raise the matter on the Adjournment at the earliest possible time.
§ 43. Mr. Willisasked the Secretary of State for Scotland which types of nontraditional permanent houses it is proposed to continue to authorise in Scotland.
§ Mr. RobertsonExcept for types which make heavy demands on steel and other scarce materials, my right hon. Friend is prepared to consider any proposals for non-traditional houses which local authorities, authorised to proceed with new houses, may put before him providing that they are competitive in price.
§ Mr. WillisDoes not my hon. Friend consider that it would be of much greater advantage, from the point of view of production and of reducing price, for the number of types to be limited and the orders to be given on a much larger scale and not in mere driblets from the local authorities?
Mr. RossWill the Joint Under-Secretary take into account also the actual performance in building and completion of houses by the various factory organisations?
44. Mr. Rossasked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many tenants of Scottish Special Housing Association houses have applied for assistance under the Rent Rebate Scheme; and how many have been assisted.
§ Mr. RobertsonUp to date, 98 tenants have applied for assistance under the Association rent relief scheme and, of these, 10 have been assisted.
Mr. RossWould the Under-Secretary agree, from the figures given, that the rents of these houses are far too high, judging from the number of people applying for rebates, and, by the few who have been given rebates, that there is something far wrong with the rebates system?
§ Mr. RobertsonI cannot agree that there is anything wrong with the rebates system. A number of the people turned 1502 down were turned down because of the income to the family being above the standard generally accepted.
§ Mr. RobertsonOf course, there has to be some regard to the total income of the family. [HON. MEMBERS: "Oh."]
§ Mr. Frank ByersIs it not a fact that the Labour Party have condemned the household means test in public for years?
§ Mr. RobertsonOf course, it is not a household means test.
§ Mr. ScollanHave the rents no relation to the cost of these buildings; and is my hon. Friend aware that the Special Housing Association have erected some of the worst modern slums there are in the whole of Scotland?
§ Mr. RobertsonI would like to take the opportunity of denying the latter part of that question. The Scottish Special Housing Association are building some of the finest houses in Scotland, but, obviously, the cost factor has some relation to the rents charged for these houses.