Lieut.-Colonel HENDERSONasked the Parliamentary Under - Secretary for Health, Scotland, whether the 1,919 houses sanctioned but not yet begun in Glasgow under the Government housing scheme can be commenced by the corporation of Glasgow at any time without further sanction from the Board of Health; and, if so, whether the delay in their commencement is due to shortage of labour in a, particular branch of the building industry or to any other cause?
§ Mr. PRATTThe 1919 houses referred to represent the number which had been sanctioned but not commenced at 31st March last. Since that date work has begun on 367 of these houses, and of the remainder, 1,152 are included in contracts already let and can be commenced without further sanction from the Board of Health. I am informed that the delay in commencing these houses is due not so much to shortage of labour as to the practice of contractors to proceed by instalments with the work comprised in their contracts.