§ Mr. Dobsonasked the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) if he will list the percentages of houses below the tolerable standard in the city of Glasgow for the past five years;
(2) if he will estimate the percentage of houses below the tolerable standard in the city of Glasgow for each of the next three years, on the basis of current Government expenditure plans;
(3) what steps he proposes to take to reduce the percentage of houses below the tolerable standard in the city of Glasgow, which stood at 12.5 per cent. in March 1979.
§ Mr. RifkindEstimates provided by Glasgow district council to my Department for the past five years are as follows:
Percentage of stock below the tolerable standard December 1975 18.3 December 1976 17.5 December 1977 16.6 March 1979 12.5 March 1980 10.3 Capital allocations to local authorities this year on the non-HRA block (from which provision is made inter alia for grants to bring property up to the tolerable standard) have been maintained at the same level in real terms as last year and the amount allocated to Glasgow district council (£17.15 million out of a Scottish total of £64.30 million) reflects a recognition of the city's housing problems. The resources available to the Housing Corporation in Scotland, for whom inner city rehabilitation is a priority, have also been maintained in real terms. Progress in reducing further the number of houses below the tolerable standard will depend on a number of factors, including the relative priorities of the district council and the other agencies, and the decisions of private individuals.