§ 66. Dr. Dickson Mabonasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty if he will state the proposed rents of new houses at Weymouth and Portland which are being built to house Admiralty employees who are due for transfer from the torpedo experimental establishment at Greenock.
§ Mr. T. G. D. GalbraithThese houses will be provided by the local authorities, and the rent to be charged is a matter for them. Since the houses are to be built at our request, their building is not to be subsidised, and the rents must be assessed accordingly. I understand that at Portland the average rent, inclusive of rates, will be about £3 6s., and at Weymouth about £2 14s. Married men transferred from Greenock to Portland will be eligible for excess rent allowances in accordance with regulations that apply throughout the Government service.
§ 67. Dr. Dickson Mabonasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty if he is aware of the concern expressed by his Department's employees in Greenock at the lack of housing accommodation being provided for those employees who are due for transfer to Portland in 1959; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. T. G. D. GalbraithWe are negotiating with the Portland and Weymouth Councils for the provision of houses for men to be transferred from Greenock. Proposals in an advanced state include the provision of 30 houses in the Portland area and 10 houses in the Weymouth area; we have asked the men from Greenock in which area they would rather live, and will negotiate for the provision of further houses accordingly. With the co-operation of these two councils for which we are very grateful, I see no reason to doubt that a sufficient number of houses can be provided.