§ Mr. Craigenasked the Secretary of State for Scotland, pursuant to his reply of 17 February, Official Report, c. 226, to the hon. Member for Glasgow, Maryhill, about urban aid funding towards consolidation costs for housing developments, if he will itemise the powers available to the Housing Corporation; and what proportion of the corporation's funds have been spent on this work in recent years.
§ Mr. Allan StewartThe Housing Corporation is able under section 9 of the Housing Act 1974 to provide loan finance to housing associations for housing projects which accord with the objects of the associations. Under section 29A of the Act the corporation also has power to approve the inclusion of particular housing projects—which may include site consolidation where necessary—in an approved development programme and housing association grant may be paid by the Secretary of State on such a project.
In the past three years the corporation has provided loan finance totalling almost £375,000 for expenditure on site consolidation works, all of which related to tenement rehabilitation schemes in Glasgow. In the same period a total of £84.75 million was loaned to housing associations engaged in such projects in the city.