§ 5. Mr. Adam Hunterasked the Secretary of State for Scotland what progress has been made, or is being made, in protecting the private house purchaser from shoddy building.
§ The Minister of State, Scottish Office (Dr. J. Dickson Mabon)Good progress is being made through the developing activities of the National House-Builders Registration Council. One hundred and eight Scottish builders are now registered, and they build over 90 per cent. of all new houses for sale in Scotland. In this regard, the industry has more than achieved the aim set it by the Government last year.
§ Mr. HunterWill my hon. Friend take it that a number of my hon. Friends and I receive complaints from time to time regarding major defects or small irritating defects in private house building, and I am very pleased to know that something is being done?
§ Dr. MabonIf my hon. Friend will pass on to me any information of that kind, I shall see that the managers of the Council and their inspectors have it and will look into it.
§ Mr. Clark HutchisonWhat progress is being made regarding the supervision of local authority houses to ensure that they are always up to standard?
§ Dr. MabonAs the hon. Gentleman knows, we have made inquiries whenever representations have been made to us. We are alive to the one or two deficiencies there have been in the past, and through the Scottish Development Department we try hard to ensure that houses in the local authority sector are well built.