New Towns

HC Deb 20 December 1989 vol 164 cc355-6

14. Mr. Ingram

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give the house waiting lists for each of the five Scottish new towns.

Mr. Lang

The numbers on house waiting lists in the five Scottish new towns are as follows:

	Number
Irvine	915
Glenrothes	1,364
Cumbernauld	1,213
East Kilbride	4,364
Livingston	746

Mr. Ingram

Is the Minister aware that those figures represent a doubling of the waiting lists in East Kilbride and Irvine, and a lengthening of the lists in the other new towns? Does he accept that the lengthening of the lists and the failure to build sufficient houses in the new towns are his responsibility and are a direct result of Government policy for the new towns? Will he tell the House what he proposes to do to shorten the lists and to provide sufficient houses within the new towns?

Mr. Lang

I am glad to be able to tell the hon. Gentleman that the lists should shorten. There are 4,300 public and, more importantly, private sector houses being constructed in the new towns. The development corporations' funding programmes for the current year add up to some £40 million, the figure for East Kilbride being £17 million.