§ Sir Hector MonroTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, if he will make a statement on the provision of housing assistance for fishermen through the crofting building grants and loans scheme.
§ Mr. LangThe primary purpose of the crofting building grants and loans scheme (CBGLS) is to provide assistance to those who intend to live on and cultivate crofts, since crofting tenure does not allow the croft house to he used as security for a commercial loan. However, under the powers available through the Congested Districts (Scotland) Act 1897, the scheme has also been used to provide assistance to tenants of fishermen's holdings created in Lewis following the first world war and to fishermen feuars in the former crofting counties who have been able to demonstrate a secure title to a house site. In practice, however, only a relatively small proportion of loans and grants under the scheme have been made to applicants in these categories.
Over the years, the provision of special housing assistance to certain categories of fishermen through the scheme has become increasingly anomalous since the individuals do not face the same barriers as crofters in obtaining other forms of housing finance. In the light of these considerations and the announcement in April 1990 about the criteria for assistance under the scheme, I have decided that in future housing assistance will not be available to fishermen who do not otherwise qualify as crofters or to the occupants of the Lewis fishermen's holdings. However, to avoid any undue hardship those fishermen who at the date of this announcement have title to a house site and are currently eligible to apply will have a period of three years from the date of this announcement to bring forward an application for assistance.
All applications received during this period will be considered on their merits in the light of the existing eligibility criteria for the scheme.