§ 29. Mr. Robert Hughesasked the Secretary of State for Scotland what sums of money in each of the last three years paid for improvements to private property have been paid to landlords; and what comparable sums have been paid to owner-occupiers.
§ Mr. YoungerInformation about amounts paid is not available, but with permission I will circulate in the OFFICIAL REPORT figures for the amounts of grant approved by local authorities.
§ Mr. HughesDoes the Under-Secretary recollect telling me the other day that £1ࡩ million had been given in the last six months to private landlords? Does he not think it wrong that landlords should have increases in rent on improvements carried out with public funds?
§ Mr. YoungerWhen the hon. Gentleman sees the figures he will observe that of the improvement grants allotted in the private sector over three-quarters were to owner-occupiers and only 24 per cent. in respect of privately rented properties. He must surely recognise that the people who benefit most from improvements carried out to tenanted property are the people living in the houses. It is they who enjoy the benefit of the improvements.
§ Mr. James HamiltonWill the hon. Gentleman take it that it has been brought to my notice by one local authority that people with more than one house are receiving improvement grants for houses—in the plural? Does not that make nonsense of the scheme, in view of the Bill which will shortly be coming before the House and which the Government guillotined in Committee? Ought not the whole situation to be reappraised?
§ Mr. YoungerLocal authorities have a discretion as to whether they give 386 grants or not, and that is no doubt one of the matters which they will take into account.
§ Following are the figures
| APPROXIMATE AMOUNTS OF IMPROVEMENT GRANT AND STANDARD GRANT APPROVED BY LOCAL AUTHORITIES FOR OWNERS OF PRIVATE HOUSES | |||
| £000 | |||
| Owner-occupiers | Others | Total | |
| 1969 | 1,100 | 260 | 1,360 |
| 1970 | 2,400 | 760 | 3,160 |
| 1971 | 3,700 | 1,200 | 4,900 |