§ Mr. Neil Macleanasked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he is aware that a number of houses in Glasgow can be made habitable by the necessary repairs being effected; and what powers have been delegated to the Glasgow Corporation to enforce the repair of such buildings where the regular notice to carry out such repairs has been served on the owners or their agents and ignored by them.
Mr. JohnstonI am informed that the facts are as stated in the first part of the question. To secure the repair of defective houses the Corporation exercise their powers under the Public Health (Scotland) Act, 1897, and may be authorised by the Court, on the failure of an owner, to carry out the work themselves and recover the cost. The local authority have also power to acquire houses and to repair and improve them. I am inquiring whether it is possible to obtain figures of the houses dealt with under these two categories in recent years. In regard to unoccupied houses I have delegated powers to local authorities to requisition and adapt suitable unoccupied premises for the use of families at present inadequately housed, the net expenditure being reimbursed by the Exchequer. In 1807W Glasgow under this provision 313 houses have been made available.