§ 9. Mr. Henderson Stewartasked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he has considered the request of the St. Monance Town Council, as set out in their letter of 4th February, for permission to allocate four new houses to persons prepared to build for their own occupation; and what action he is taking in the matter.
§ Mr. WoodburnYes. In the special circumstances, if applications for licences are submitted in the usual way I will consider them sympathetically.
§ Mr. M. MacMillanasked the Secretary of State for Scotland to state what his decision is regarding the application from the Town Council of Stornoway to the Department of Health to be allowed to proceed with the construction of another 34 traditional houses while the contractor 246W and plant and skilled building trade labour employed on the present building programme work are still in the islands, for work in which, experience has shown, it is not possible to secure these services now.
§ Mr. WoodburnI recently allocated 40 Swedish timber houses to the town council and will shortly authorise the county council to start 20 traditional houses already contracted for. These houses, all of which are to be built in Stornoway, should fully engage the available labour force for some time. The question of appproving additional houses will be considered in the light of the progress made.
§ Mr. M. MacMillanasked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether it is intended to place any of the Swedish timber houses allocated to the Island of Barra at the north end of the island; if not, why not; and to what extent the Department of Health is involved in the distribution planning for the island.
§ Mr. WoodburnExcept for 150 houses required for industrial workers in places nominated by the Government Departments concerned, the distribution of Swedish timber houses within the county was left to the county council themselves, and they decided to build 40 at Castlebay.