Housing Tenants (Neighbours' Complaints) (Hansard, 23 February 1977)

§ 5. Mr. Adam Hunter
asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what statutory duty is imposed on local authorities to investigate complaints from local authority house tenants regarding the conduct of neighbouring tenants; and if he will make a statement.

§ Mr. Hugh D. Brown
The investigation of complaints is one aspect of the management functions vested in local housing authorities by Section 149 of the Housing (Scotland) Act 1966.

§ Mr. Hunter
Is my hon. Friend aware that the problem of neighbour trouble among council house tenants is growing at an alarming rate and that many tenants are living in a state of tension and misery? Does he agree that the housing authorities have little power in the matter and have no statutory right to intervene in cases where individuals are involved in noise disturbance and verbal abuse? Since parents are allowed to attend children's hearings and to attend committees dealing with school attendance defaulters, does my hon. Friend agree that local authorities should have the power to form committees or panels for people with individual complaints against others?

§ Mr. Brown
I can sympathise with my hon. Friend. This is one of the most difficult human problems facing housing authorities. Housing authorities do, however, have powers—I am not suggesting that eviction cures the problem—which are in my opinion adequate at present to deal with a human problem which should obviously also involve social workers.

§ Mr. Fairgrieve
Does the Minister agree that the problems outlined by the hon. Member for Dunfermline (Mr. Hunter) could be improved if he gave more encouragement to more Scottish local authorities to sell council houses to sitting tenants and thus give them more interest in themselves, their houses and their neighbours?

§ Mr. Brown
No. That is a doctrinal approach. With respect, I doubt whether 1391 the hon. Gentleman knows anything about the problems in some housing estates—

Hon. Members
Disgraceful. Withdraw.

§ Mr. Fairgrieve
On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. Having served on a Scottish—

Hon. Members
At the end of Question Time.

§ Mr. Speaker
I understand the hon. Gentleman's feeling, but perhaps he would be kind enough to wait until the end of Questions.

§ Mr. Brown
I shall repeat what I said. [HON. MEMBERS: "Withdraw."] I said that I doubt whether the hon. Gentleman has knowledge of many of the housing estates where the greatest problems are—[Interruption.] It is a more diplomatic way of saying that he does not know anything about the problem. I have already said that I have a lot of sympathy with authorities which are battling with this problem, but it certainly will not be solved simply by selling council houses.

§ Mr. Speaker
Order. As a fellow Celt, I appreciate the difficulty of being brief, but I would appreciate questions and answers being a little briefer.

§ Mr. Robin F. Cook
Since investigating complaints requires housing managers, have the Government yet considered the report on housing management of the Scottish Housing Advisory Committee, which stated that it was appalled by the low level of professional training in Scottish local authorities? In view of that report, can the hon. Gentleman promise the House an early response to the recommendation that the central Government should become more involved in the training of housing staff?

§ Mr. Brown
As my hon. Friend knows, it was through the initiative and encouragement of this Government that the Scottish Advisory Committee was asked to treat housing management and, indeed, its improvement, including professional training, as a priority. Since the report was published only a week ago, I cannot yet give a response to it. But I treat this as a matter of urgency and I shall respond to it sympathetically.

§ Mr. Welsh
In reference to the difficulties of housing management, is the Minister aware—if he is aware of anything—of the desperate shortage of trained housing managers in Scotland? Will he give a definite assurance that he will take action on the SHAC report?

§ Mr. Brown
I have already said that I shall respond to it as sympathetically as possible, but whatever problems we have in housing management they are Scottish problems created by an indifference of too many people to attempting to solve them. There is no political mileage in it for the Scottish National Party. Yes, we shall respond sympathetically and urgently, because housing management and its improvement is one of our housing priorities.