THE EARL OF MANSFIELDasked His Majesty's Government whether they will state why permits to private builders to build houses have again been issued in England, but not in Scotland, despite the much worse housing shortage in the latter country; whether permission is to be extended to Scotland also, and, if not, whether they will explain the reason for this latest example of the now habitual practice of placing Scotland in an inferior position to England.
§ THE PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY, MINISTRY OF WORKS (LORD MORRISON)In order to ensure that our resources are used to the best advantage in meeting the very serious need for houses to let, it has been necessary in recent months to restrict the issue of building licences for new houses to be906WA occupied by agricultural workers, miners, and certain other essential key workers. As intimated in another place on March 29, however, my right honourable friend has now decided to consider recommendations by local authorities for the issue of licences to persons in certain other categories, namely, persons engaged in essential public services (e.g., doctors, nurses, teachers and transport workers), persons requiring accommodation for reasons of ill-health (e.g., tuberculosis patients) and persons who undertake to build houses in their spare time for their own occupation. The total number of licences to be issued is expected to amount to about one tenth of the allocations of houses made to local authorities and the Scottish Special Housing Association.
House adjourned at twenty-six minutes before eight o'clock.