§ 43. Mr. Rossasked the Secretary of State for Scotland what protests he has received in respect of the Scottish Special Housing Association's proposed new rent scheme.
§ Mr. MaclayI will, with permission, circulate in the OFFICIAL REPORT a list of the thirteen bodies who have protested to me about the Scottish Special Housing Association's proposed new rent scheme.
§ Mr. RossWhen considering these protests, will the right hon. Gentleman bear in mind that not only are people subject to rent increases, but that this is made much worse by the fact that, under recent legislation by the Government, the increases follow the transfer of the burden of the rates from the estate agents to the tenants, so that the people are doubly penalised financially? Will he look at that point too?
§ Mr. MaclayObviously the proposals are not officially before me, but I will take everything into consideration when they are.
§ Following is the list:
- Dundee Town Council.
- Paisley Town Council.
- National Union of Mineworkers (Scottish Area).
- National Union of Mineworkers (Scottish Area), Lady Victoria Branch.
- Dunfermline Trades Council and Burgh Labour Party.
- Foxbar Tenants' Association, Paisley.
- Scottish Council of Tenants' Associations.
- Levenmouth Trades Council, Leven.
- Hunterhill Tenants' Association, Paisley.
- United Society of Boilermakers, Shipbuilders and Structual Workers.
- Scottish Painters' Society.
- Sauchenbush Tenants' Association, Kirkcaldy.
- Faifley Tenants' Association, Clydebank.
§ Note. The above list does not take account of consultations at present proceding between the Association and the local authorities of districts in which Association houses have been built.
§ 44. Miss Herbisonasked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many complaints have been received on the substandard condition of houses owned by the Scottish Special Housing Association.
§ Mr. MaclayDuring the past twelve months I have received three such complaints.
§ Miss HerbisonIs the Secretary of State aware that, not only in my constituency but in other constituencies, many of the houses built by the Scottish Special Housing Association are very substandard and that, through dampness and smoke nuisances, the conditions of some 965 houses in my constituency, which I have examined, are worse than in some of the slums in my constituency?
§ Mr. MaclayI assume that the hon. Lady is ensuring that those conditions are brought to the attention of the Scottish Special Housing Association at once. Work has been done on dampness throughout all the Association's houses and the dampness is not always the fault of the construction of the house.
§ Miss HerbisonHaving had this Question before him, surely the Minister has found out that time and time again over the years complaints have been made about smoke and damp nuisances and that, in spite of attempts to get improvements, those improvements have not been made? Why should these people be asked to pay higher rents?
§ Mr. T. FraserFurther to the supplementary question of my hon. Friend, to clear things up, will the right hon. Gentleman say whether the three complaints to which he refers include the many complaints made direct to the Scottish Special Housing Association?
§ Mr. MaclayI should like notice of that question. I deferred rising to reply to the hon. Lady because her hon. Friend was about to rise and I thought that he wanted to add to her question. I have all these matters under consideration. I know about the complaints to the Scottish Special Housing Association, which has managed to make improvements.
§ Mr. BenceWill the right hon. Gentleman seriously consider the complaint of my hon. Friend the Member for Lanarkshire, North (Miss Herbison), because in Clydebank a whole street has had to be decanted because of the condition of the houses through faulty construction? Is he aware that the high cost of reconstruction is adding to the general burden which is forcing the Scottish Special Housing Association to put up rents? Will the right hon. Gentleman look into the matter personally?
§ Mr. MaclayI look into everything put to me by hon. Members, at Question Time or any other time.