§ Mr. Norman HoggTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he has any plans for replacing lead plumbing in pre-war houses and tenement blocks; and if he will make a statement.
§ Lord James Douglas-HamiltonThe replacement of lead plumbing within a house is the responsibility of the owner, though grants to private owners are available for this purpose from district and islands councils.
In the period 1982–87, over 45,000 grants which included lead plumbing works were approved by local authorities. In the same period more than 350,000 houses were improved by local authorities and other public sector agencies; many of these houses are likely to have had lead plumbing replaced as part of the modernisation works.