Oral Answers to Questions — Scotland – in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 28 July 1959.
Mrs Jean Mann
, Coatbridge and Airdrie
12:00,
28 July 1959
asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he is aware that housewives are now being deprived of the choice between gas and electricity in local authority housing estates where in many cases electricity is given a monopoly; and what reply he is making to the complaint about this matter sent to him by the Women's Gas Federation on 11th June.
Hon. John Maclay
, Renfrewshire West
It is for the local authority concerned to decide which services should be laid on to its houses. I would hope that authorities would give full weight to the importance of giving the greatest possible freedom of choice to their tenants as recommended in the Scottish Housing Handbook. I am replying on these lines to the representations which I have received from the Women's Gas Federation.
Mrs Jean Mann
, Coatbridge and Airdrie
Is the Secretary of State aware that housewives have always had the choice since the Housing Manual, 1945, laid down that it was the choice of the women of Scotland to be free to decide between electricity and gas?
Hon. John Maclay
, Renfrewshire West
The hon. Lady will realise from my original reply that I share her view on this.
Secretary of State was originally the title given to the two officials who conducted the Royal Correspondence under Elizabeth I. Now it is the title held by some of the more important Government Ministers, for example the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.
