HC Deb 17 March 1981 vol 1 cc81-3W
Mr. Dewar

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will provide the figures for capital expenditure for the Scottish Special Housing Association, the new towns, and the Housing Corporation and housing associations, for the financial years, 1977–78, 1978–79, 1979–80, 1980–81 and, if available, 1981–82 all at 1981–82 outturn prices.

Mr. Younger

The information requested for the years 1977–78 to 1980–81 at the price base used for the calculation of the 1981–82 cash limits is shown in the table below. The final allocations to those agencies for 1981–82, based on the provision in "The Government's Expenditure Plans 1981–82 to 1983–84—Cmnd. 8175—have still to be decided.

1977–78 1978–79 1979–80 1980–81
£million £million £million (provisional) £million
New towns gross
investment 56 54 41 41
Scottish Special
Housing Association gross investment 75 56 61 52
Housing Corporation schemes
Net loans and grants to housing associations 38 50 60 71
Capital expenditure
Local authority gross expenditure
1977–78 £million 1978–79 £million 1979–80 £million 1980–81 (provisional) £million
Loans and grants to the housing associations 17 10 13 7

Mr. Dewar

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many houses in Scotland lack one or more of the standard amenities; and if he will provide, if available, a district by district breakdown of the figure.

Mr. Rifkind

I do not have the information in the form requested. Hot and cold water at a sink and the exclusive use of an internal WC are requirements of the tolerable standard, and returns obtained from authorities in relation to that standard make it clear that the number of houses failing that standard because they lack a sink and/or a WC is as follows:

Number of Dwellings Lacking Sink* and/or WC† at 31 March 1980
SCOTLAND — TOTAL 66,595
Local Authority
Berwickshire 80
Ettrick and Lauderdale 713
Roxburgh‡
Tweeddale 205
Clackmannan 62
Falkirk 1,753
Stirling 525
Annandale and Eskdale 274
Nithsdale 116
Stewartry 140
Wigtown 184
Dunfermline 339
Kirkcaldy‡
North East Fife 1,519
City of Aberdeen 5,282
Banff and Buchan‡
Gordon 835
Kincardine and Deeside 598
Moray 2,266
Badenoch and Strathspey‡
Caithness 509
Inverness 694
Lochaber 129
Nairn 20
Ross and Cromarty 1.376
Skye and Lochalsh 1,068
Sutherland 351
East Lothian 364
City of Edinburgh 14,000
Midlothian 14
West Lothian 555
Argyll and Bute 3,081
Bearsden and Milngavie 3
Clydebank 438
Clydesdale 315
Cumbernauld and Kilsyth‡
Cumnock and Doon Valley 51
Cunninghame‡
Dumbarton 255
East Kilbride 93
Eastwood 60
City of Glasgow 17,680
SCOTLAND — TOTAL 66,595
Hamilton 821
Inverclyde 642
Kilmarnock and Loudoun 586
Kyle and Carrick 330
Monklands 187
Motherwell 595
Renfrew 2,787
Strathkelvin 53
Angus‡
City of Dundee‡
Perth and Kinross 2,293
ORKNEY ISLANDS AREA
SHETLAND ISLANDS AREA 1,394
WESTERN ISLES ISLANDS AREA‡
* Sink, with hot and cold water supply located within the house.
† WC located within the house for exclusive use of occupants of the house.
‡ No return yet provided by authority.

Mr. Dewar

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will provide the most recent estimate of how many public sector houses, privately rented houses and owner-occupied houses are vacant in Scotland and, if available, a district by district breakdown of the figures.

Mr. Rifkind

The total number of vacant houses in Scotland is estimated at something over 150,000, of which about 35,000 are estimated to be in the public sector. The estimating methods, which are rather speculative, have been applied to data from the 1971 census, and the results are subject to a wide possible margin of error; no finer breakdown by tenure, or by individual local authority, is readily available. Improved estimates of the numbers and composition of the vacant housing stock will be provided by the post-enumeration survey of vacant property to be mounted in conjunction with the 1981 census.

Mr. Dewar

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the most recent estimate of the number of public sector houses affected by condensation and dampness in (a) Glasgow, (b) Edinburgh, (c) Aberdeen, (d) Dundee and (e) Scotland; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Rifkind

This information is not available. The extent of the problem can vary considerably, even locally between houses of identical design and construction, as it is influenced by a complex inter-action between such physical factors as climate, built form, heating and ventilation and the way of life of different occupants. For these reasons the Government believe that responsibility for dealing with condensation and determining the priority such work should attract must rest with individual housing authorities.