§ 40. Mr. M. MacMillanasked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many houses are to be built in the present year in the Islands of Barra, South Uist and Benbecula, North Uist, Harris and Lewis, respectively, for the county councils of Inverness and Ross and Cromarty; and what was the total since 1945 to 1951.
Commander GalbraithThe County Council of Ross and Cromarty expect to build 106 houses this year in Lewis. The 1222 County Council of Inverness do not, I understand, propose to build houses in any of the other Islands this year. The number of houses built by the two authorities in the Islands between 1945 and 1951 is 286. I am circulating the detailed figures for which the hon. Member has asked in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
§ Mr. MacMillanDoes the reply about the Inverness County Council mean that this Tory county council has not attempted to meet its obligations to provide more houses in this present year in these islands where housing is still in some places very bad indeed?
Commander GalbraithThe hon. Gentleman will remember that all the houses which were built between the years for which he is asking were Swedish timber houses, and we hope that we may be able to initiate other schemes of that kind later on.
§ Mr. MacMillanSince the houses that have been built apart from the many crofter houses, were Swedish houses erected under the Labour Government's emergency import schemes, does that mean that the Inverness County Council have not built a single house in the Outer Islands of a permanent character, and that they intend to build none in the future?
§ Following are the detailed figures:
| — | 1945–51 | 1952 |
| County Council of Ross: | ||
| Lewis | 128 | 106 |
| County Council of Inverness: | ||
| Barra | 40 | — |
| South Uist | 42 | — |
| Benbecula | 14 | — |
| North Uist | 16 | — |
| Harris | 46 | — |
| 286 | 106 |