§ Mr. Patrick Maitlandasked the Secretary of State for Scotland the total area of agricultural land taken over since 1945 by local authorities for housing in Scotland and in Lanarkshire, respectively; and the number of new dwellings built in both cases.
§ Mr. J. StuartIn the period 1945 to 1952, inclusive, the areas of agricultural land approved for local authority housing in Scotland and Lanarkshire were 23,154 and 5,336 acres, respectively. During this period 176,948 houses were built of which 22,045 were in Lanarkshire, but some of these were built on land acquired by local authorities before 1945 and were built on non-agricultural land. The figures for Lanarkshire do not include land acquired or houses built by the Corporation of Glasgow.
§ Mr. Patrick Maitlandasked the Secretary of State for Scotland the total area of agricultural land diverted since 1945 68W to building other than housing in Scotland, and in Lanarkshire, respectively.
§ Mr. J. StuartI regret that the information desired is not readily available since the matter is very largely in the hands of local planning authorities.
§ Mr. Patrick Maitlandasked the Secretary of State for Scotland the total area of agricultural land diverted since 1945 to factory building in Scotland, and Lanarkshire, respectively; and the total area of factory space and the volume of new employment so provided in both cases.
§ Mr. J. StuartI am unable to say how much agricultural land has been used for factory building in Scotland and Lanarkshire since 1945. With regard to the provision of new factory space and consequent new employment, I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply given by the President of the Board of Trade to the hon. Member for Fife, West (Mr. Hamilton) on 19th February. For convenience, I am sending a copy of that reply. This deals with Scotland as a whole, and I am asking my right hon. Friend to supply information in respect of Lanarkshire.