§ 35. Mr. Malcolm MacPhersonasked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many houses under the special programme for housing agricultural workers have now been allocated; how many have been completed; and what are the pro-proportions of traditional and nontraditional houses.
Mr. McNeilFour thousand one hundred houses have been allocated in this programme. 64 per cent. of the 2,170 houses completed and 17 per cent. of the 820 houses under construction at the end of June were non-traditional houses. The remainder were traditional houses.
§ Mr. MacPhersonCan my right hon. Friend say how the proportion of nontraditional houses compares with the proportions of other types of houses in the housing programmes?
Mr. McNeilI am indebted to my hon. Friend for his interest and prodding on this subject. In the first instalment, the proportion of non-traditional houses was higher, but in those under construction the proportion was lower.
§ Mr. J. J. RobertsonWill my right hon. Friend consider advising local authorities, in placing their tenders, to give preference to non-traditional house building in order that we might speed up the completion of houses in Scotland?
Mr. McNeilYes. I have already indicated almost a reluctance on my part to usurp the job of local authorities, but while every consideration should be given to the local contractors I hope that where they do not have the potential to undertake the job, local authorities will use non-traditional houses.