Homelessness (Hansard, 26 January 1977)

§ 6. Mr. Robin F. Cook
asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on his Department's policy on homelessness in Scotland.

§ Mr. Hugh D. Brown
I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given to my hon. Friend the Member for West Stirlingshire (Mr. Canavan) yesterday. It is the Government's policy in Scotland strongly to encourage the local authorities and bodies concerned to develop close practical working arrangements for dealing humanely and effectively with homelessness and associated problems.

§ Mr. Cook
I accept that this encouragement represents progress, but does my hon. Friend recognise that Scottish housing authorities have a sad record of ignoring circulars on management matters, such as letting or the provision of sheltered housing? In view of past experience, would it not be wise to take advantage of the Bill currently before the House on this matter to give statutory authority to any code of practice that may be introduced, especially as that was recommended by the Morris Committee?

§ Mr. Brown
Yes, but, as my hon. Friend knows better than anybody else, we have had detailed consultations with the local authority associations in Scotland, and it is one of the differences that might work to our advantage in Scotland. We have always worked on the basis of getting voluntary agreement from the local authorities. I am not ruling out the question of legislation but, clearly, the 1477 Government have no control over a Private Member's Bill, and we are considering what our attitude should be on this at the moment.

§ Mr. David Steel
Will the Under-Secretary confirm that he has been informed by my hon. Friend the Member for Isle of Wight (Mr. Ross), who is introducing his Housing (Homeless Persons) Bill next month, that in response to many representations from Scotland he intends to include Scotland within its ambit? In that circumstance, will he give the same helpful Government support to its provisions north of the border as his colleagues in the Department of the Environment have already promised for England and Wales?

§ Mr. Brown
As the right hon. Member knows, there are differences. I take it that he shares with me the view that when we have a Scottish problem we should tackle it in a Scottish way, based on our own experience. I had discussions with the right hon. Member's hon. Friend this morning, and I put him in the picture on the matter. I cannot give a categorical assurance that we shall want Scotland to be included in the Bill, but I have not ruled it out. We are now in discussion with the local authority associations.

§ Mr. Welsh
May I stress to the Minister that there is all-party support for the Private Member's Bill on housing the homeless, sponsored by the hon. Member for Isle of Wight (Mr. Ross)? In view of past Labour Party and Government commitments that are being fulfilled in England, may I encourage him to bring this legislation into being for Scotland, too?

§ Mr. Brown
I know that, fortunately for the people of Scotland, the SNP does not control any housing authority in Scotland.

§ Mr. Canavan
It does.

§ Mr. Brown
My hon. Friend reminds me that I am incorrect. I had better put it in another way. There is nothing outstanding about the performance of the one or two housing authorities controlled by the SNP which would denote that that party has operated any more successfully than has any other authority on the problem of homelessness. The Labour 1478 Party in Scotland gave no commitment to legislation, unlike the Government in England and Wales. There is, therefore, no breach of faith on our part concerning Scotland.