§ 15. Mr. Sillarsasked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will convene a conference of housing authorities in Scotland for the purpose of making a joint effort to overcome the current housing problem.
§ Mr. YoungerI believe that the frequent meetings which Scottish Office Ministers have with housing authorities, individually and in groups, are likely to be more fruitful than a general conference of all 234 housing authorities in Scotland.
§ Mr. SillarsIs the Minister's reticence due to the fact that if he got these people together at a conference they would tell him the facts of life—which are that his cut-back in building in the public sector housing is causing acute social misery for thousands of Scottish families? Is it not a fact that in the three years during which he has been in charge of Scottish housing the only things, in housing terms, that have gone up have been prices, rents, mortgages and housing queues? Does he not remember that in his address to the electors of Ayr in 1966 he declared that to overcome the housing problem Scotland required a minimum of 50,000 new 404 houses a year? Why is he singing a different song now that he is a Minister?
§ Mr. YoungerI must make clear that there has been no cut-back in public housing programmes under the Conservative Government. We have deliberately avoided any such action. Local authorities have had every possible encouragement from us to build more houses. The hon. Gentleman is incorrect in saying that the only things that have gone up are those that he listed. He should also have listed the number of housing improvements, which have risen to a sensational level compared with what they were in the earlier period—64,000 approved in the first nine months of this year—and also the record numbers of private house completions under the Conservative Government. I believe that there is no local authority which has not had every possible encouragement from the Government to carry out its building programme.
§ Mr. Bruce-GardyneIs my hon. Friend aware that the figures that he has given are highly encouraging, contrary to what might be said from the Opposition benches? However, will he confirm that the average council house tenant in Scotland pays 5 per cent. of his income in rent, whereas the average council house tenant in England pays 10 per cent. of his income? Is not it time that we in Scotland recognised that we shall never get decent housing on the cheap?
§ Mr. YoungerI should not like to attempt to confirm my hon. Friend's figures, though I believe them to be correct. However, my hon. Friend is quite right. People who live in council houses in Scotland want to see better quality houses in better surroundings and with better amenities. That is what we are trying to give them.