§ 41. Mrs. Mannasked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he is aware that local authorities are refusing to exercise their powers to take over vacant houses by acquisition on the advice of their legal advisers that such procedure would 1604 necessitate many months of delay and that the price fixed by arbitration or the district valuer would be on the present high level of exploitation value of vacant possession; and if he will make a statement.
Commander GalbraithI assume that the hon. Lady refers to the statutory procedure for the compulsory purchase of houses. My right hon. Friend has received no representations that this procedure involves undue delay or that the statutory provisions for determining the purchase price are inequitable.
§ Mrs. MannCan the right hon. and gallant Gentleman say whether any local authorities have, of late, used their powers to acquire and, if not, has he asked them why they have not done so?