HC Deb 04 December 1951 vol 494 cc2210-1
9. Major W. J. Anstruther-Gray

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he will make a pronouncement on the sale of council houses.

Mr. J. Stuart

I am prepared to consider applications from local authorities for permission to sell council houses, and hope to be able soon to give the authorities guidance on the subject.

Mr. Woodburn

As this suggestion has created some doubts in the minds of council tenants, could the Secretary of State say whether he is going to impose any conditions on these sales, whether local authorities will be entitled to reserve whole schemes for sale, or whether this refers to individual council houses where the tenant wants to purchase?

Mr. Stuart

The right hon. Gentleman knows that there is to be a debate today. Safeguards will, of course, have to be imposed to prevent purchasers from making unwarranted profits by resale. In addition, the price will, at least, have to extinguish the liability of the Exchequer and local rates.

Mr. McNeil

Will the right hon. Gentleman say that he does not mean to suggest that people other than tenants could have any possibility of purchasing council houses?

Mr. Stuart

I said that we would be able to give authorities guidance on this subject soon, but, of course, they will be told, for example, that those urgently in need of housing are one of the first to be considered. Obviously, the position of any existing occupant who does not wish to purchase will have to be safeguarded.

Mr. McNeil

The Secretary of State alarms me. Will he tell the House plainly: does he mean to dispose of council houses which fall vacant to people other than municipal tenants? Does he mean to dispose of these houses by sale?

Mr. Stuart

It is quite possible that houses which fall vacant could be considered for sale to those in urgent need of houses.

Mr. Woodburn

I am sorry to press the right hon. Gentleman, but it is an important point. Is he authorising, say, a city like Glasgow or Edinburgh to take a whole scheme of houses and to reserve it entirely for sale, and not allow tenants for letting into that scheme?

Mr. Stuart

Local authorities will make their suggestions to the Department and to myself; they will all have to be considered. As I said earlier, guidance will be issued to local authorities as to how the matter should be handled. I should prefer at the moment to confine myself to that, with the assurance, of course, that the need for housing and people on the waiting lists now in the hands of local authorities must have first consideration.