HC Deb 29 March 1950 vol 473 cc50-1W
Mr. Forman

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he will make a statement about his future plans for the licensing of private house building in Scotland.

Mr. McNeil

In connection with the allocations which I am intimating to local authorities this week I have considered whether it is possible to relax the control at present exercised over private house building in Scotland. Since 1947 the issue of building licences has been subject to the approval of the Central Department and, except for a period in 1949, approvals have been restricted to applications relating to the building of houses for agricultural workers, miners and key workers whose claims have been accorded priority in the national interest. Otherwise, the available resources have been devoted to the building of houses for local authorities for letting to families with the greatest housing need. Until greater inroads have been made into the waiting lists of local authorities this must remain the primary object of housing policy.

Without prejudicing this object, however, I have come to the conclusion, since it would be in the public interest, that a limited number of licences might in addition be issued for houses for certain other categories of persons whose claims similarly merit priority of treatment. Accordingly, after consultation with the Minister of Works, I propose to inform local authorities that until further notice the Central Department will also be prepared to consider recommendations in favour of the issue of licences where the houses are intended for:

  1. (a) persons for whom accommodation must be provided in particular areas if essential public services are to be maintained, e.g., doctors, nurses, teachers and transport workers;
  2. (b) persons requiring accommodation for reasons of ill-health, e.g., tuberculosis patients;
  3. (c) persons who undertake to build houses in their spare time.

The size and cost of houses authorised under these arrangements would be generally similar to the sizes and prices of houses built for local authorities, although special permission would be given to exceed these sizes and costs in appropriate circumstances, e.g., in the case of a doctor who may require consulting accommodation.

I also propose to approve the erection of about 500 houses for crofters with assistance under the Agriculture (Scotland) Act, 1948. The building of these houses will not make any additional call on building labour for the ordinary housing programme.

I shall keep this matter under regular review so that I may consider what adjustments may be necessary or possible in the light of the progress made with the housing programme as a whole. In the meantime it is estimated that the number of licences to be issued in the extended categories together with houses for crofters approved under the Agriculture (Scotland) Act, 1948, will represent about one-tenth of the total allocations of houses to be built for local authorities for letting.