§ Mr. DonohoeTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland pursuant to his answer of 20 February,Official Report, column 678, in what circumstances a local authority can act under the terms of the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982 against the owner of a privately owned property in a state of disrepair; what action these powers require the owner of the property to take; what liability use of this legislation beings on the local authority; and which clauses of that Act confer on the local authority the power to act. [19530]
139W
§ Mr. Raymond S. RobertsonSection 87 of the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982 enables a local authority to serve a notice on the owners of buildings requiring that they be brought into a reasonable state of repair. If the owners comply the authority may be liable to pay repairs grant. If they do not comply the local authority may arrange and pay for the works to be carried out and recover the cost from the owner. If in the interests of health or safety, or to prevent damage to any property, it appears necessary to an authority to repair a building immediately it may do so without prior notice and recover the costs from the owner.