§ Mrs. McCurleyasked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the future relationship between the Scottish Special Housing Association and the Housing Corporation in Scotland.
§ Mr. RifkindI have today published a consultation paper "Scottish Homes—A New Agency for Housing in Scotland". The task of this agency would be to promote and assist the development of housing in Scotland and to build on the successes of the Scottish Special Housing Association and the Housing Corporation in Scotland. I expect Scottish Homes to operate in a flexible way and, more specifically, work towards the greater use of private finance in the provision of housing; to give tenants a greater choice in housing through diversification of tenure and ownership; and to form close partnerships with local534W authorities, housing associations and other landlords to improve housing, include large single-tenure local authority housing estates.
This new agency, which would replace both SSHA and the Housing Corporation in Scotland, would be an enabling and funding body with wide powers and a wide remit. The consultation paper also suggests that the new body should, under appropriate arrangements, take over the SSHA housing stock and also those functions which the Housing Corporation itself undertakes for Scotland.
I commend the proposals in the consultation document for careful study by all interests concerned with the future of Scottish housing and I shall be glad to receive and consider their views.