HC Deb 24 February 1971 vol 812 cc551-2
11. Mr. Lawson

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish in the Official Report the housing capital debt per head of the population of the joint burgh of Motherwell and Wishaw and of each of the 10 largest local authorities in Scotland, respectively.

Mr. Younger

Yes, Sir.

Mr. Lawson

Does not the hon. Gentleman agree that these very large debts have been built up by the local authorities in following the housing programmes of successive Governments? Will he give an assurance that the Government have no intention of welshing upon their debt obligations, which they themselves have undertaken to meet?

Mr. Younger

I am not quite certain to which aspect of the housing finance system the hon. Gentleman is referring. The question of the housing debts incurred by the present local authorities is something that we shall take into account—and, indeed, we are doing so—in our current consultations with the local authority associations.

Following is the information:

NET CAPITAL DEBT PER HEAD ON THE HOUSING REVENUE ACCOUNT
£
Motherwell and Wishaw … 460
Glasgow … … … 246
Edinburgh … … … 187
Lanark County … … 254
Dundee … … … 332
Aberdeen City … … … 238
Ayr County … … … 204
Fife County … … … 175
Renfrew County … … 84
Paisley … … … … 282
Aberdeen County … … 140

NOTES:

  1. 1. Debt figures from returns for 1969–70.
  2. 2. Population figures as at June, 1969.

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