HC Deb 24 October 1950 vol 478 cc2675-6
9. Mr. Hector Hughes

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many new homes have been provided annually in Scotstoun since 1945; how do these numbers compare with each of the five years after the 1914–18 war; and what are the comparable figures for the whole of Scotland during each of the same two periods.

Mr. T. Fraser

As the answer involves a number of figures, I will, with permission, circulate a statement in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

Commander Galbraith

Is the hon. Gentleman aware that in that part of the Scotstoun constituency composed of the Knightswood and adjoining housing schemes, at a time when there was a moderate majority on the Corporation and a Conservative Government in office, approximately 5,000 houses were built between 1923 and 1930? Is he further aware that, in addition, approximately 1,000 houses were built in Scotstoun for owner-occupation in the inter-war years?

Mr. Fraser

I completely fail to see what that has to do with the Question on the Order Paper.

Mrs. Jean Mann

Is my hon. Friend aware that in the five years after the first war not a single house was built in Scotstoun?

Mr. Niall Macpherson

Can the hon. Gentleman inform the House whether in his answer he was referring to the number of houses built or the number provided?

Following is the statement:

The availability and suitability of sites in any given area within a city is always a determining factor in the number of houses which the Corporation can build from year to year in any one Parliamentary constituency. Bearing this consideration in mind, however, in the period 1945–49 the Corporation built 1,257 permanent and temporary houses in the Scotstoun division compared with 20 in the period 1919–23.

The annual figures are as follows:

1919 … — 1945 263
1920 … — 1946 588
1921 … 20 1947 345
1922 … — 1948 98
1923 … — 1949 73
20 1,257

Corresponding figures of houses built by private enterprise in the division are not available.

The total numbers of permanent and temporary houses built in Scotland as a whole are:

1919 … — 1945 2,006
1920 … 1,957 1946 16,429
1921 … 6,579 1947 24,143
1922 … 12,050 1948 28,761
1923 … 8,129 1949 25,923