§ Lord James Douglas-Hamiltonasked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he will make a statement about the implementation in Scotland of the scheme of assistance for private owners of prefabricated reinforced concrete houses under the Housing Defects Act 1984.
§ Mr. YoungerMy hon. Friend the Minister for Housing and Construction, in his reply to his hon. Friend the Member for Norwich, South (Mr. Powley) and the hon. Member for Norwood (Mr. Fraser) on Monday 12 November, at columns133–34, confirmed that the Housing Defects Act 1984 would come into effect in Great Britain on 1 December 1984.
I have by virtue of the Housing Defects (Prefabricated Reinforced Concrete Dwellings) (Scotland) Designations 1984, made on 2 November 1984, designated for the purposes of the scheme of assistance in Scotland the following classes of building, as described in the designations:
- Ayrshire County Council (Lindsay)*
- Blackburn Orlit*
- Boot
- Dorran
- Myton-Clyde Orlit
- Tarran
- Tarran-Clyde
- Tee Beam*
- Unitroy*
- Whitson-Fairhurst*
- Winget
* These are types found only in Scotland. Myton-Clyde is the Scottish equivalent of the Myton in England.
There will be a 10-year period from 1 December 1984 within which owners may apply for assistance. In common with England and Wales, there will be an expenditure limit, for the purpose of calculating the amount of reinstatement grant payable in each case, of £14,000 for all types of defective dwelling under the Act. There will also be a common cut-off date, by which an owner must normally have bought his or her dwelling in order to be eligible for assistance under the Act, of 26 April 1984 for all classes of building.
A circular is to be issued shortly to all housing authorities in Scotland about the Act and the scheme of assistance for owners of prefabricated reinforced concrete dwellings.