HC Deb 23 July 1957 vol 574 cc219-20
31. Mr. Ross

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland the number of local authority houses for which authorisation has been sought this year, to the latest available date, and the corresponding figures for 1955 and 1956.

Mr. J. N. Browne

Tenders for 8,474 houses were approved between 1st January and 31st May, 1957. The corresponding figures for 1956 and 1955 were 12,431 and 9,484, respectively.

Mr. Ross

Does the Joint Under-Secretary of State think that the decrease is troublesome, or alarming?

Mr. Browne

In our view, this decrease is entirely normal as local authorities come to the end of their housing programmes.

Mr. Ross

May I then take it that the reduction of nearly 4,000, or nearly 33 per cent., in the tenders as compared with two years ago causes satisfaction to the Scottish Office?

Sir T. Moore

What about ten years ago?

Mr. Browne

I cannot blame the hon. Member for Kilmarnock (Mr. Ross), having just been given the figures, for not seeing their real implication. The real comparison is between 1955 and 1957, which shows a drop of only 1,000. In 1956, local authorities were jumping the gun to get the higher rates of subsidy. That is the reason for the unusually high number.

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