§ 19. Sir William Darlingasked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the average cost to local authorities of houses built over the last 30 years on suitable dates.
§ The Secretary of State for Scotland (Mr. Woodburn)I am sending the hon. Member a copy of the Report of the Scottish Building Costs Committee and would refer him to the very full information on this subject in the Appendices I and IV.
§ 20. Mrs. Jean Mannasked the Secretary of State for Scotland how far he can encourage the permanent nontraditional type of house to meet local authority needs in Scotland; and if he is satisfied that the Scottish house of this type is superior to those imported and cheaper in price.
§ Mr. WoodburnExcept for types which make heavy demands on steel and other scarce materials, consideration is given to proposals for all types of approved non-traditional houses providing that they are competitive in price. Imported houses are not in substitution to the home production but a welcome addition.
§ Mrs. MannIs it not a fact that the imported houses are very much more expensive than the Scottish produced house; and does not my right hon. Friend consider that the Scottish factories are placed in a very awkward position if they are given orders spasmodically and not for mass production?
§ Mr. WoodburnIn reply to the first part of the question, in some districts there is not a great deal of difference in the price. In the Highlands, of course, all houses are much dearer than in the Lowlands because of the special conditions. I think the other point arises on a later Question.
§ 21. Major Guy Lloydasked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he is aware that there are 1,530 applications for homes before the Burgh of Barrhead; that last year's 40 completed houses were sufficient only to re-house those living in condemned property; that the present rate of building is insufficient to meet normal wastage; that although 140 houses are now being built they are not enough to house the homeless; and if he will now give permission to the Council to build at once all houses for which plans have been approved.
§ Mr. WoodburnI am aware that the Burgh of Barrhead has had a need for houses for a great many years and regret that the building trade has not found it possible to complete more than 40 out of the 180 houses in hand. To start more houses than can be completed would cause delay by tying up materials needed to finish the houses under construction. In the meantime the Council are getting an allocation of 30 Blackburn houses which will supplement local building capacity. The Council are free to get all the houses under construction completed as soon as possible. They have recently been authorised to start another 20 and will secure further permission as they progress.
§ 22. Major Lloydasked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he is aware that there is a waiting list of 2,000 for homes in Renfrew who have qualified under the stipulation of 10 years' residence, and a further list of those with less than 10 years' residence; that only 122 houses have been built in the Burgh in 2½ years; that the Council had been prevented from going ahead with building 176 by the sterilising of housing ground in the vicinity of the airfield, and could not build for workers at Hillington because of the extension of the Airport; and if he will take steps to get all difficulties removed at the earliest possible moment to enable the Burgh of Renfrew to proceed with their housing programme.
§ Mr. WoodburnThere have been difficulties in making available land for housing but these have so far been resolved. On behalf of the Town Council the District Valuer is now negotiating for the acquisition of three areas in the Blythswood Estate extending to 41, 18 and 88 acres. The Town Council have 160 houses under construction, mostly at the earliest stage, and they have recently accepted 40 Blackburn houses which are to be started as soon as possible. In addition they will be authorised to start 150 more houses in approved contracts as progress is made with those houses now building.
§ Major LloydWould the Secretary of State say a word or two about the great difficulty of the sterilisation of land around the airport because that is a matter which seems to be upsetting local authorities in Renfrew very much; and is he aware of the very great disappointment of those local authorities because they are unable to get on with housing and feel that they are being frustrated by the policy of the Government?
§ Mr. WoodburnI think the hon. and gallant Gentleman must be misinformed for, of course, all these areas have houses to build and we are very anxious that they should get them completed.
§ 23. Mrs. Mannasked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many houses were built for letting purposes by private speculators between 1918 and 1939; and how many for similar purpose built by local authorities in Scotland.
§ Mr. WoodburnThe number of houses built for private owners between 1918 and 1939 inclusive was 107,000 of which 8,000 were for letting. In the same period 227,300 houses were built for letting by local authorities.
§ Mrs. MannIn view of the very revealing figures which have been given, can my right hon. Friend explain why 177 there should be any agitation whatever to allow private enterprise to start building houses once again?
§ Mr. KeelingDoes the Minister agree that the term "speculators" is unjust and offensive to people who have used their savings to build houses for letting to their fellow-citizens?
§ 26. Lieut.-Colonel Sir Thomas Mooreasked the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has in view for increasing the number of houses for letting and for sale in the burgh of Ayr.
§ Mr. WoodburnThe Town Council have at present 360 permanent houses under construction and were recently authorised to start 32 more. In addition they have accepted an offer of 60 of the new Blackburn type. All of these houses are for letting. No houses for sale are proposed in the meantime.
§ Sir T. MooreDespite that apparently optimistic statement is the right hon. Gentleman aware that, whereas in 1945 there were 2,000 families homeless in Ayr, today 2,500 families are homeless, due not to the inefficiency of the Town Council but to the right hon. Gentleman's own anti-social policy?
§ Mr. WoodburnI am afraid that the hon. and gallant Gentleman's history is a bit awry. These people are homeless because the opportunity was not taken between the wars, when labour and materials were available, to rehouse them.
Mr. E. P. SmithCan the right hon. Gentleman assure us that these houses which he envisages will not prove to be castles in the air?
Commander GalbraithCould the right hon. Gentleman state the number of homeless families in Ayr in the year 1939?
§ Mr. WoodburnIn 1939 quite a number of people could not afford to ask for a house.
§ Sir T. MooreThe answers given to these questions are so entirely unsatisfactory that I give notice that I shall raise this matter on the Adjournment.
§ 30. Sir Basil Neven-Spenceasked the Secretary of State for Scotland when he expects to be able to allot to Stromness 178 the 10 Swedish timber houses for which that burgh has asked.
§ Mr. WoodburnBy agreement with the County Council, their allocation of 20 houses will be erected inside Kirkwall Burgh. No additional Swedish timber houses are at present available for allocation, but the claims of Stromness will be considered when any further programme is contemplated.
§ Sir B. Neven-SpenceBut why not give the Burgh of Stromness a chance to get at least half of these extra houses given to the county?
§ Mr. WoodburnOf course, we are very careful before interfering with the discretion of the county council and it was decided in this case that they were to go into Kirkwall Burgh.
§ Mr. Emrys HughesIs my right hon. Friend aware that the Chancellor of the Exchequer is charging import duty on Swedish houses? Will be make representations to have the import duty done away with and the money given over to the local authorities?
§ Mr. WoodburnI do not think my hon. Friend should be worried about it, because the Chancellor also pays for Swedish houses and what he takes from one pocket he puts into another.
§ 36. Mr. N. Macphersonasked the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps he will take to provide houses for persons who have left the area of one local authority and taken up temporary residence in an adjoining area, and for whom both local authorities in the areas where they used to be and where they now are domiciled, disclaim responsibility.
§ Mr. WoodburnThe letting of houses is a matter for local authorities themselves. I have no evidence that the difficulty to which the hon. Member refers is widespread. I shall, however, bring it to the notice of the Scottish Housing Advisory Committee, who have recently been asked to survey local authorities' existing method of allocating tenancies and to make recommendations.
§ 38. Mrs. Mannasked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he has been made aware that the Weir Housing Corporation of Coatbridge will he forced to close their factory in June unless orders for 179 houses are immediately forthcoming; that this firm are capable of producing 100 permanent houses per week at low competitive cost with unskilled labour; and if he will immediately make use of this firm to increase the supply of houses.
§ Mr. WoodburnI am in close touch with Messrs. Weir regarding their capacity. They themselves are tendering for local authority orders and I have asked the Scottish Special Housing Association and Messrs. Weir to consider co-operation in making continued use of this firm's output.
§ 39. Mr. Willisasked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether, in view of the fact that it is no longer shortage of materials that is retarding the rate of completion in house building, he will approach the trade unions in the building industry with a view to discussing methods for increasing the output.
§ Mr. WoodburnI have discussed this question with my right hon. Friend the Minister of Works and I have arranged to meet the Joint Advisory Panel of the Building Industry on 11th February.
§ Mr. WillisWill my right hon. Friend discuss the question of output bonuses?
§ Mr. WoodburnYes, I propose to discuss all the possibilities of increasing productivity in the building trade.
§ 40. Mr. Emrys Hughesasked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many houses are being built in the fishing village of Maidens, Ayrshire; when they were begun; when they are likely to be completed; and what has been the reason for the delay to date.
§ Mr. WoodburnProgress on this scheme has been delayed from time to time by shortage of materials, and bad weather on an exposed site. Of 10 houses started in November 1946, two are completed, four are expected to be completed shortly, and the remaining four later in the year.
§ Mr. HughesIs the Minister aware that people from this village are threatened with eviction from huts on the Turn-berry Golf Course? Will he see that housing takes precedence over golf?