§ 30. Mr. Rankinasked the Secretary of State for Scotland what new plan he has for the abolition of slums in Scotland.
§ Mr. NobleThe essential point is to increase the rate of new building to permit more rapid clearance of unfit houses, and my policy is to get output increased to 40,000 houses a year.
§ Mr. RankinDoes the right hon. Gentleman remember that he definitely excluded Glasgow from this plan? As I got no satisfaction last week from the Prime Minister, can he help by telling me why he did so? Is he aware that if we take into account the number of houses in Glasgow which are beyond repair, plus the number of slums, something like 100,000 represents the replacement figure for the City of Glasgow and, at the present rate of progress, allowing for no further wastage, that will take 393 20 years? How does the right hon. Gentleman propose to face Glasgow's problem?
§ Mr. NobleI think the hon. Member has answered his own question in his supplementary question. It is just because Glasgow is a very big problem and has this particularly difficult problem of slum clearance that I excluded it from a target which otherwise I think reasonable. The corporation is doing its best and my Department is helping in every way it can to accelerate the programme.
§ Mr. RankinThe right hon. Gentleman is evading the main problem. If Glasgow is to speed up the rate of building to solve its problem within the years he evidently thinks possible, does he realise that if it has to face the financial aspect of that alone it will cripple the city? What particular or special financial aid does he propose to give Glasgow to help it to reduce the 20 years to 10 years?
§ Mr. NobleI have never suggested that it could be reduced from 20 to 10 years, so that point does not arise.
§ Mr. RossDid I correctly understand the right hon. Gentleman to state that his aim was to build 40,000 houses a year? Does the Government's record of 39,000 houses built in Scotland in 1953, falling last year to 28,000, inspire us with any confidence in this ability to reach that target?
§ Mr. NobleI should have thought the fact that we are able to get so near to it in 1953 should inspire the hon. Member with great confidence. As he knows, we moved from 1955–56 a very great deal into the problem of slum clearance. Everyone knows that is much more difficult and much slower.
§ Sir T. MooreIf Glasgow Corporation is so short of money that it cannot build houses for its own people, why was it able to advance nearly £4 million to buy Abbotsinch Airport while Prestwick Airport was available?