HC Deb 02 August 1972 vol 842 cc543-5
11. Mr. Adam Hunter

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will take steps to amend the housing improvement grant scheme so as to direct it towards the provision of help to those who are in need; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Younger

The purpose of the improvement grant scheme, since its introduction in 1949, has been to secure the modernisation of as many houses as possible, and my right hon. Friend has no proposals for amending it.

Mr. Hunter

Is the hon. Gentleman aware that the housing improvement grant scheme is being abused? Is he not aware that old or derelict houses can be purchased and improved for use as a second home or a holiday home and then sold for a substantial profit? Does he not know of this practice? Will he look at the matter with a view to curbing this kind of activity and allow those who require a better home to get the substantial assistance that is available?

Mr. Younger

Local authorities have discretion to refuse grants if they think it is unreasonable that they should be granted, perhaps for some of the reasons which the hon. Gentleman has mentioned. I prefer to look at it this way: that every house improved is a house that is there to help the housing problems of those who are homeless, and that is very much to be welcomed.

Mr. Bruce-Gardyne

Has my hon. Friend noticed the wording of the hon. Gentleman's Question? Is it not totally contrary to the policy of the Labour Party that assistance in matters of houssing should be concentrated on those in need?

Mr. Younger

I could not hope to be regarded as an authority on the policies of the Labour Party, but it appears to me that the reference to those in need shows that the Labour Party is at last being converted to the principle which we have brought in in our Bill.

Mr. John Smith

Will the hon. Gentleman explain the Tory Party's policy in applying a means test to council tenants but applying no means test to the people who apply for and get housing improvement grants?

Mr. Younger

There are no means tests either for council tenants or for private owners in the matter of improvement grants. If the hon. Gentleman does not like that, he should have pressed his right hon. Friends who introduced the improvement grant scheme to introduce that element into it. My view is that every house improved is a house to help the housing shortage, and I should have thought the whole House would have welcomed that.

18. Mr. Sproat

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will now seek to introduce legislation to prevent local authorities from refusing to give 75 per cent. house improvement grants for other than owner-occupied property.

Mr. Younger

It is the Government's desire that as many homes as possible should be improved with the higher rate of improvement grant, whatever their ownership. If I saw any widespread evidence that tenants were being denied this benefit I would of course consider what action to take.

Mr. Sproat

Is my hon. Friend aware that there is indeed such evidence? Is he aware that thousands of tenants in Aberdeen are being denied the chance to improve their homes through a recent decision of the Aberdeen Council housing sub-committee and that it is the poorest tenants who are hardest hit? Will he undertake to examine the legislation closely to see how it can be amended to ensure that the council does not abuse the Government's intention to have people improve their own homes?

Mr. Younger

I shall certainly look very closely at the evidence my hon. Friend has sent me, for which I am grateful. I should deprecate it if it were the case that any local authority is denying the benefits of improvement grants to all tenants purely because they are tenants. That would be a heartless idea.

Mr. David Steel

Will the hon. Gentleman undertake to see how the excellent improvement grant scheme is working under different local authorities? Is he aware that in my area houses and cottages in villages and towns are tending to be bought up as holiday cottages while houses in remote areas, which would be perfectly good holiday houses but which will never be occupied by local people, are not coming on to the market? Is there not a need to see how the scheme is operating and how local authorities could be encouraged to improve it?

Mr. Younger

I note what the hon. Gentleman has said. As I said in answer to an earlier Question, local authorities have discretion not to give discretionary improvement grants if they think that the circumstances do not warrant them. I hope that that discretion will be used in a sensible manner.

Mr. Robert Hughes

Is the Minister aware that what Aberdeen Town Council is doing is protecting tenants in Aberdeen from the avaricious landlords who are buying up streets of houses, converting them and then letting them at exorbitant rents or selling them, totally abusing the system of improvement grants? Such landlords have no concern for the tenants but are concerned solely to make the fastest buck possible. The decision of Aberdeen Town Council has the widest possible support in the City.

Mr. Younger

I will not comment, without making inquiries, on whether the hon. Gentlemen's highly-coloured description of what is going on in Aberdeen is correct. It occurs to me that the only thing from which the corporation is protecting tenants is receiving the benefits of having their houses improved. I should have thought that to be very unfortunate.