HC Deb 03 May 1960 vol 622 cc864-6
14. Mr. Dempsey

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many one-apartment houses there are in Scotland; and how many dwelling-houses there are in Scotland without baths.

Mr. T. G. D. Galbraith

At the last census, in 1951, there were 71,784 one-roomed houses and 619,521 houses without fixed baths in Scotland. Up-to-date figures will be provided by the 1961 census.

Mr. Dempsey

Is the hon. Gentleman aware that there has been no appreciable difference made in the existing numbers due to the lack of housing drive by the present Government, and that there has been no drive by the landlords to take advantage of the improvement act? Does he not think that a bath is an ordinary, decent amenity to have in a home, and will he now consider introducing legislation to compel landlords with houses which have a reasonable length of life to provide baths?

Mr. Galbraith

I do not see how the hon. Member comes to that position before we have had the census, but I agree that houses ought to have baths. I hope that, as a result of this question and the publicity directed to the matter by it, more houses will be improved.

26. Mr. Millan

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many local authority houses he expects to be completed in the year 1960; and what percentage increase or decrease this represents compared to 1958 and 1959.

Mr. T. G. D. Galbraith

I expect that about 19,000 local authority houses will be completed in 1960, which is 16 per cent. less than in 1958 but almost 2 per cent. more than in 1959.

Mr. Millan

Is the hon. Gentleman satisfied with these figures, particularly in view of the answer he has given to my hon. Friend the Member for Coat-bridge and Airdrie (Mr. Dempsey) about the number of one-apartment houses in Scotland? Is there not an absolutely urgent necessity for speeding up the whole programme?

Mr. Galbraith

As has been explained on countless occasions, the difficulty is that it is necessary to redevelop the centres of cities, which obviously makes the building of new houses a much slower operation than it was when one could build on green sites outside the cities.

27. Mr. Millan

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many unfit houses he expects to be demolished or closed in the year 1960.

Mr. T. G. D. Galbraith

My expectation is that about 10,000 unfit houses will be demolished or closed in 1960. This excludes houses already closed which will be demolished in 1960.

Mr. Millan

Does the hon. Gentleman appreciate that as the number of houses closed and demolished increases—and we are all very glad to see that—the number of houses built for general needs correspondingly goes down, and that this is becoming a serious problem in industrial cities, particularly Glasgow and, I think, Edinburgh? Is not that another factor to be taken into account and another argument in favour of a general speeding up of the housing programme?

Mr. Galbraith

It is necessary first to clear these sites and then it will be possible to build on them.