§ Mr. ADAMSONasked the Secretary for Scotland whether he is aware that the burgh of Dunfermline, on 12th December, 1911, gave notice under the Housing, 1852W Town Planning, etc., Act, 1909, of a town planning scheme of the burgh, including the Rosyth area lying between Dunfermline.and the Firth of Forth, which was followed by a draft scheme being presented to the Local Government Board for approval on 13th August, 1915; whether he is aware that the Local Government Board have taken no action in connection with the scheme, in consequence of which all building operations in the scheduled area, with the exception of those undertaken by the Scottish National Housing Company, have been stopped, thus causing loss to the burgh of Dunfermline and accentuating the difficulty of providing housing accommodation for the rapidly increasing number of persons employed in the district; and whether it is the intention of the Local Government Board to do anything with the scheme so that the need for housing accommodation in the district may be met at the earliest possible moment?
§ Mr. MUNROI am informed that the Local Government Board have already given very careful consideration to the draft scheme. It is, however, one of great magnitude and complexity, affecting many interests, and they art not yet in a position to approve it. I am not prepared to accept the suggestion that any delay in obtaining the approval of the scheme is, under present circumstances, producing the result which my hon. Friend attributes to it. I am not aware of any building operations dependent on private enterprise which have been stopped. On the other hand, houses are being provided as rapidly as possible by the National Housing Company with liberal assistance from the Government.