§ 11. Mr. Gourlayasked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will increase the special housing allocation to Kirkcaldy district council so that priority remedial work may be carried out to pre-war houses in Kirkcaldy.
§ Mr. AncramIt is for Kirkcaldy district council to decide on the priority to attach to remedial work on prewar houses within the resources available to it. The council may, of course, supplement its basic consent in 1984–85 by generating additional receipts, as it has done this year.
§ Mr. GourlayIs the Minister aware that it is the cuts imposed by the Secretary of State on the Kirkcaldy housing grant that have led to the postponement of urgent remedial work on pre-war houses because, for reasons of safety, priorities have to be changed to deal with the system-built housing in other parts of the district? Will the Minister reconsider the position to relieve the distress caused for many tenants by the postponement of remedial work on pre-war houses?
§ Mr. AncramAs the hon. Gentleman knows, my officials have met representatives of the district council and I am fully aware of the representations made with regard to an increase in housing revenue account allocation. I shall, of course, consider those representations in the light of representations made by other authorities if it becomes possible to allocate additional resources in due course.