HC Deb 04 April 1973 vol 854 cc416-8
3. Mr. Adam Hunter

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many improvement grants in the private housing sector have been approved in Scotland since March 1971.

Mr. Younger

From 1st April 1971 to 31st December 1972, the last date for which figures are available, improvement grants and standard grants were approved for 21,796 privately owned houses.

Mr. Hunter

I appreciate that the housing improvement scheme is contributing successfully to maintaining the stock of old houses in Scotland, but is the hon. Gentleman satisfied that the money spent for this purpose is properly allocated? Is he aware of cases where grants are given to owners whose houses have all the amenities and meet all tolerable standards and that they are improving their houses beyond their family requirements? If this is true, is it not denying improvement grants to those who need them?

Mr. Younger

I am grateful for the hon. Gentleman's support for the improvement grant scheme. I do not have evidence of abuses such as he outlines. This is a matter of discretion for the local authorities to exercise. If an authority thinks that an individual request is unreasonable, it has the right to refuse to make a grant. My own attitude is that every house improved to modern standards is a further house for people in Scotland to live in.

Mr. Lawson

Since the Government have repeatedly stressed as a principle that housing subsidies were not to be paid in respect of bricks and mortar but should be paid to persons in need, how can the hon. Gentleman justify this vast expenditure on improvements without any test of means?

Mr. Younger

A house which is below the proper standard and which therefore needs improvement is a house which has a great need of improvement, and that is what the scheme is all about.

Mr. Robert Hughes

How many of these grants have gone to property companies which have speculated in housing, obtained improvement grants and subsequently sold properties without any need to repay hard-earned cash from the Exchequer?

Mr. Younger

I have no figures to show what might be the numbers for property companies. But I hope that as many as possible of these grants can be used for privately tenanted houses many of whose tenants are living in deplorable conditions for the lack of improvement. The general purpose of the scheme is to get houses improved. So long as it is achieving that, I shall be satisfied.

Mr. Ross

Of the 21,796, how many were for owner-occupiers and how many for properties with tenants in them?

Mr. Younger

Of the figure quoted, 17,400 applications were by owner-occu- piers and about 4,400 by other applicants including the owners of let houses.