§ 27 and 28. Mrs. Mannasked the Secretary of State for Scotland (1), if he is aware that persons buying slum houses are entitled to be rehoused when the slum in which they are living is demolished, and that houses are being bought with this end in view; and if he will introduce legislation to stop the sale of all houses likely to be classified for demolition forthwith;
(2), if he is aware that houses scheduled for slum clearance are being sold to those whose object in buying them is to secure 1832 a council house; and whether, and by what date, he proposes to introduce legislation to stop this practice.
§ Mr. J. StuartI have no reason to believe that this practice is widespread or that local authorities cannot deal with it through their rules for the letting of new houses. But if the hon. Member has information about particular cases, I shall be interested to see it. As I informed the hon. Member for Bothwell (Mr. Timmons) on 8th November, the Government are not prepared, for reasons which have been fully explained, to control the sale or the selling price of houses.
§ Mrs. MannIs the right hon. Gentleman not aware that it is widespread and that this is not merely a matter of paying key money for the sole purpose of getting slum property and slum housing and that these tenants are assured of a council house? Will he say what reply I am to give to a constituent who writes and tells me that the house he has bought under those conditions, for which he has paid £150, is not to be demolished after all? What compensation is he to get?
§ Mr. StuartIn reply to the second part of the question, I think that if the local authority advised him that it was to be demolished, he had better take up the matter with the local authority. I assure the hon. Lady that all that a purchaser has to do is to consult the local authority. Local authorities are perfectly prepared to give the widest possible information on properties which are to be knocked down.