§ Mr. SteelTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what financial help the Government propose to give to councils to build new public sector rented accommodation in areas where there is a shortage of such accommodation, including Tweeddale.
§ Mr. RifkindIt is for individual housing authorities to determine their own policies and priorities, based on their own assessment of housing needs in their districts, and to programme capital expenditure accordingly within the resources made available. If councils identify a particular need for additional rented accommodation in the public sector then they should in the first instance include proposals for remedying any such housing shortage in the housing capital programme due to be submitted to the Scottish Development Department by Friday 3 November. Next year's capital allocations will be determined, as in previous years, in the light of the aggregate resources available and the competing requirements of all 56 housing authorities.