§ Mr. Donald Stewartasked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will direct that crofters in the process of house building should qualify for any rise in grant and loan announced subsequent to approval of the original application.
§ Mr. William RossIncreases in grant and loan for crofter housing are designed to offset current rises in building costs and cannot be applied to houses which may have been under construction for some time. The higher level of assistance is, however, available to crofters who have already been offered grant but who have not yet started work.
§ Mr. Donald Stewartasked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will remove the restriction on crofters being ineligible for improvement grant while there is an outstanding balance on the original grant for building a house.
§ Mr. William RossThe restriction ceases to apply when the conditions of the original grant lapse or when the original grant is fully repaid, I am not persuaded that this arrangement should be altered.