§ 13. Mr. T. Fraserasked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will indicate the number and percentage of controlled houses in Scotland which were repaired by the landlords and so earned the increase in rent under the Housing (Repairs and Rents) (Scotland) Act, 1954, and the number and percentage of rented houses under £40 valuation repaired by the landlords under the Rent Act, 1957.
§ The Joint Under-Secretary of State for Scotland (Mr. J. Nixon Browne)According to the valuation rolls for 1957–58, 37,282 controlled houses in Scotland were subject at May, 1957, to the "repairs increase" in rent under the Housing (Repairs and Rents) (Scotland) Act, 1954. This is just over 5 per cent. of the 700,000 houses which were controlled at that time.
I shall not have the information for which the hon. Gentleman asks in the second part of his Question until October, 1958.
§ Mr. FraserIn the circumstances I wonder whether the hon. Gentleman can say how his right hon. Friend could state in this House on 2nd April that this work of repair of the under £40 houses, that is the controlled houses
… is going on effectively in Scotland".— [OFFICIAL REPORT, 2nd April, 1958; Vol. 585, c. 1228.]Do not the figures he has given indicate that this repair work has not gone on effectively ever since 1954?
§ Mr. BrowneThe repair of 37,000 houses in the first three years after the passing of the Act cannot be dismissed as ineffective. I am advised that the number of repairs is rising.
§ 16. Mr. Hector Hughesasked the Secretary of State for Scotland in what respects the differences between English and Scottish conditions relating to work done in the repair of houses will be taken into account in the proposed amendment of the law relating to landlord and tenant.
§ Mr. J. N. BrowneI would refer the hon. and learned Member to the terms of the Landlord and Tenant (Temporary Provisions) Bill, which was published last week.
§ Mr. HughesDoes not the Joint Under-Secretary realise that that is a completely inadequate reply? Will he request the Secretary of State for Scotland, as well as the Minister responsible for the forthcoming Bill, to consult the Lord Advocate in order to devise means whereby the injustices inflicted by the Act on tenants in Scotland can be adequately dealt with in the proposed Bill and whereby the tenants of Scotland can be protected?
§ Mr. BrowneUnless the hon. and learned Gentleman can let me know the injustices to which he refers, I am unable to answer him.