HC Deb 20 February 1940 vol 357 cc1188-9W
Mr. Welsh

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many books are issued monthly in the libraries of Bellshill, Larkhall, and Cambuslang, respectively; and what the respective population is in each of the districts served by these libraries?

Mr. Colville

The district libraries at the places mentioned serve county areas where the Public Libraries Acts have not been adopted. The following figures have been furnished by the county council. It is impossible to define exactly the area served by a county district library, and the population figures are accordingly estimated. case of how many was the stoppage due solely to want of timber; what suggestions he has made to local authorities to complete houses with substitute materials in place of timber; and whether he has any statement to make regarding the success attending such suggestions?

Mr. Colville

At 31st December, 1939, 24,605 houses in Scotland being built under the Housing (Scotland) Acts were partly completed. Apart from temporary stoppage due to the weather, work was proceeding on rather more than half of these at that date. Information of the number of stoppages due solely to lack of timber is not available. The possibility of completing houses with substitutes for timber has been under active consideration by the technical staff of the Department of Health for Scotland, and they are now in process of discussing the matter in detail with the advisers of a number of local authorities who have also been examining the problem.