HC Deb 15 June 1966 vol 729 c1451
32. Mr. Mackintosh

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he will refer the housing allocation system of the Burgh of Cockenzie-Port Seton to the Scottish Housing Advisory Committee under Section 143 of the Housing (Scotland) Act, 1950, in view of the obligation of local authorities under that Act to give reasonable preference to persons who are occupying insanitary or overcrowded houses and the fact that these considerations are not included in the burgh's points system for housing allocation.

Mr. Ross

The Scottish Housing Advisory Committee is already studying the methods by which local authorities allocate the tenancies of their houses and has obtained information about present practice from a large number of authorities, including Cockenzie and Port Seton.

Mr. Mackintosh

Would the Secretary of State not agree that in particular cases not only should housing allocation schemes be fair but that it should be possible to examine them and explain to the public that they are fair or unfair as the case may be?

Mr. Ross

Ratepayers in a particular area should know what the allocation scheme is and should see for themselves. Explanations as to the justice of a scheme should come from their local representatives.