§ Mr. W. G. Bennettasked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will now make a statement about his proposals for private house building in Scotland.
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§ Mr. J. StuartYes. I have decided that local authorities may from now onwards increase the number of licences for the erection of privately built houses from the present ratio of one-tenth of their total programme to one-fifth.
The existing arrangement under which the issue of licences is limited to persons in special categories will come to an end. I am asking local authorities, however, to give favourable consideration to applications from people who are already on their waiting lists for houses to let and from others who can prove an urgent housing need. Subject to this local authorities will be left to decide individual applications on their merits.
The normal maximum size of house for which licences may be issued will be 1,500 square feet. The controlled selling price to be inserted in the licences will be fixed by the local authority on the basis of the cost of building their own houses, making allowance for differences in size and specification.
As houses can usually be built most quickly and efficiently in groups, local authorities will be encouraged to issue block licences to builders for this purpose.