§ Dr. Dickson MabonI beg to move Amendment No. 6, in page 3, line 29, leave out from 'securing' to 'brought' in line 33 and insert:
'the carrying out of such works on the houses in the area that on the completion of the works all the houses then in the area will meet or will have been brought up to at least the tolerable standard; or(c) by securing the demolition of some of the buildings in the area and by seating the carrying out of such works on the houses in the area, other than the houses in those buildings, that on the completion of the works all the houses then in the area will meet or will have been'The Amendment is intended to make it clear that where an authority has resolved to act under paragraph (b) or (c), the obligation to have houses brought up to at least the tolerable standard applies only to the houses which are in the area at the time when the improvement works have been completed.153 Hon. Members who served on the Committee will recall that we discussed the position of tenements where a single end, for example, may have to be included with existing houses to give space for the provision of bathrooms. As Clause 4 is drafted at present, where an authority has resolved to proceed in a housing treatment area either by improvement or a combination of improvement and demolition, it is obliged to improve all the houses which are in the area at the time of the resolution or all such houses which it had not resolved to demolish. This, therefore, is a clarifying Amendment which I hope, has the agreement of hon. Gentlemen opposite.
§ Mr. Edward M. Taylor (Glasgow, Cathcart)One small point occurs to me which I hope is appropriate to the Amendment. In such a clearance area, if the demolition of part of a tenement property is called for and the rest is classified as being suitable to bring up to a tolerable standard, whose is the responsibility for shoring up the gable ends which are left? It may be that this is dealt with in another part of the Bill, but this question appears to arise in the change which the hon. Gentleman proposes.
If one close in a group of five or six tenements becomes unsound and is demolished, it can have an effect on the structures of the houses on either side of it, and their proprietors may be involved in substantial bills for shoring up and restoring gable ends or making their properties more secure. Whose is the responsibility? If the local authority is carrying out the demolition of one property, who will be responsible for maintaining the structure of adjacent houses or for shoring up the gable ends? Does that fall on the authority which calls for the demolition? It is a detailed point, but one which is bound to arise, and I should appreciate the Minister's observations.
§ Dr. Dickson MabonNothing in the Bill would prevent it being dealt with by the local authority in the way that the hon. Gentleman suggests. But I doubt whether there will be many cases where it will be appropriate.
We, naturally, missed the hon. Gentleman's presence in Committee, but we know that he has many obligations else- 154 where. If he had been intimately connected with the Bill, he would know that areas are drawn by the local authority in its discretion and put up to the Minister as areas for housing treatment. Unlike the English system, ours involves demolition and improvement together. I should be surprised at a local authority putting up the case that there should be knocking-down of tenement blocks which left one or several being shored up. That would be a very unsightly-looking procedure. However, if the hon. Gentleman feels that there is some doubt about it and that this matter might arise, I will look into it.
§ Amendment agreed to.