§ Mr. IngramTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he intends to allow new town district councils to purchase vacant houses from their respective development corporation.
§ Mr. LangIt is the responsibility of each development corporation to own and manage its housing stock in accordance with its own priorities. A possible role for district councils in the future of development corporation housing is outlined in paragraph 5.10 of the new towns White Paper. The White Paper commits the Government to formal consultations on the position in each town once an order for dissolution has been made and those consultations will be held with development corporations, district councils and representative tenant groups.
§ Mr. IngramTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he proposes to advise or instruct development corporations to consult sitting tenants prior to any changes in the management of the housing stock within the new towns.
§ Mr. LangNo. I am confident the development corporations can be relied on to use acceptable housimg management practices when preparing management agency agreements such as those set out in paragraph 5.11 of the White Paper "The Scottish New Towns: The Way Ahead" (Command 711).
§ Mr. IngramTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will provide details of any request made by Scottish Homes to dispose of land under the terms of section 2(3A) of the Housing (Scotland) Act 1988.
§ Lord James Douglas-HamiltonScottish Homes has made no request under section 2(3A) of the Housing (Scotland) Act 1988 for consent to dispose of land.
§ Mr. IngramTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if Scottish Homes has notified him of its intention to dispose of blocks of vacant houses to private landlords or any other non-public sector housing agency.
§ Lord James Douglas-HamiltonPrior to the introduction of section 2(3A) of the Housing (Scotland) Act 1988 which came into force on 1 December 1989 Scottish Homes exercised its powers, under section 2(2)(h) of that Act, to dispose of land in accordance with arrangements made with the Secretary of State.
Such arrangements did not require Scottish Homes to notify the Secretary of State of particular disposals, provided that the sale was in the exercise of its general functions and the selling price was not less than the market value of the land, as determined by the district valuer.
506WUnder these arrangements Scottish Homes agreed to sell six groups of new untenanted houses, totalling 203 dwellings, mainly sheltered or amenity, to registered housing associations.
§ Mr. IngramTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what valuation he will place upon the sale of vacant houses by new town development corporations to private landlords or any other housing agency.
§ Mr. IngramTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he last met the chairman and managing director of the Scottish new towns; and what items were discussed.
§ Mr. LangMy right hon. and learned Friend last met the chairmen and managing directors of the Scottish new town development corporations on 1 December, when a wide range of matters concerning the corporations was discussed.
§ Mr. IngramTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland which Scottish new towns have informed him of plans to sell off vacant houses to private landlords or to any other housing agency; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. LangCumbernauld development corporation has recently concluded the disposal of 64 houses in the Balloch area of the town to the Bield housing association. I understand that further schemes for disposal to private landlords including housing associations are under consideration in a number of towns, but no further proposals have yet been submitted for my approval.
§ Mr. IngramTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland which Scottish new towns have informed him of plans to transfer the management of development corporation houses to private housing agencies; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. LangNo development corporation has put proposals to me for my consideration, although I am aware that there may be interest in forming such agencies in East Kilbride, Glenrothes and Livingston.
§ Mr. SteelTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what response he has given to the request from Ettrick and Lauderdale district council for £0.5 million to fund an urgent house building programme.
§ Mr. RifkindNext year's capital allocations, which we hope to announce before Christmas, will be determined, as in previous years, in the light of the aggregate resources available and the competing requirements of all 56 housing authorities. It is then for councils themselves to decide how to target the resources made available, based on their own assessment of housing needs in their districts, and to programme expenditure to reflect these needs, including the demand for new housing for rent if this is seen as a priority.