§ Mrs. Ewingasked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what is the total amount paid out by the Government under the mortgage option scheme in each of the years of the scheme's operation; and what proportion of this money has gone to assist Scottish house-buyers.
§ Mr. FreesonThe amounts paid out by the Government in England, Wales and Scotland respectively are as follows:
- 1st April, 1968–31st March, 1969—£6,650,529; £92,572; £39,151.
- 1st April, 1969–31st December, 1969—£6,369,753; £101,261; £33,265.
The amounts to be paid in the last quarter of the financial year 1969–70, when the increased rates of subsidy apply, will include amounts paid to lenders who submit claims not quarterly but annually. These amounts are paid according to the location of the lender's registered or head office, not according to the location of the property on which the loan is made, and since a number of English building societies operate on a substantial scale in Scotland and Wales it can be supposed that an appreciable amount of the payments from the English Vote is for the benefit of Scottish and Welsh borrowers.