The hon. Gentleman did not say that at the end of his speech. However, I shall not quibble over words. The implication that the local authority would not be interested is not sound. I do not think many local authorities would be disinterested in the activities of the Scottish Special Housing Association, for several reasons; first, because there are a number of local authorities in whose areas there is a very acute land shortage. This is the position in Edinburgh and in other local authority areas. A second reason is that the building of Scottish Special Housing Association houses in an area alongside municipal housing programmes creates a number of rather difficult problems in connection with rents and so on, and anyone who is familiar with local government knows the type of difficulties that this creates. Members of Parliament have in the past had to receive deputations arising precisely out of these difficulties.

Therefore, it seems that the local authorities will be interested in these activities even though they are not part of the general local authority housing programme but are designed for incoming miners, for industrial needs or municipal purposes.

It is true to say that local authorities are very much concerned with these activities purely from the housing point of view. They are also concerned with them from the point of view of the use of land available within a local authority area. The hon. Gentleman will be aware of this difficult problem that has arisen in a number of local authority areas. The hon. Gentleman said that a later Amendment safeguards the position because after "satisfied" in line 2 on page 100 it is proposed to insert: after consultation with the authority. It would be out of order to discuss this at present because I understand it is not being taken with the Amendment that we are now discussing, but perhaps I might say in passing that those words do not mean very much.

In this subsection the Association has to satisfy itself that the authority is unwilling to acquire the land. I should have thought it was impossible for the Association to satisfy itself that the local authority is unwilling to acquire the land without some form of consultation. It is bound to consult the local authority. It will never know that the local authority does not want to purchase the land unless it does consult. In fact, its first job will be to approach the local authority and to say, "We are anxious to acquire this land. Will you take the necessary steps to acquire it and then either sell it or lease it to us?". This is the ordinary procedure that would take place, and that in itself is surely consultation. Discussions would take place between the officials of the Association and the officials of the local authority. Therefore, I do not think that what the hon. Gentleman calls Amendments which will safeguard the position will alter this subsection very much. This subsection gives another authority power to come into the local authority area and acquire land.

My hon. Friends and I have a very great regard for the Scottish Special Housing Association as most people in Scotland have. It has done a wonderful job in Scotland. Without it we would not have been able to overcome the problems with which we have been faced. The Association has worked efficiently and competently. It is not that we are opposed to the Association, but we feel that within a local authority area bodies acquiring land for housing, such as the Scottish Special Housing Association, should do it through the local authority. The local authority ought not to have its powers nibbled into by this or any other body.

If we believe in local government—and we all pay lip-service to it—if we believe that it should be strengthened and developed, the way to do that is not by dividing its powers or giving the powers that it at present possesses to somebody else. The local authorities know the need within their areas. They are more familiar with the problems affecting the use of land within their areas, and it is important to know exactly what it is intended to do with a piece of land within a local government area. We feel that this is the right body to do it, not the Scottish Special Housing Association.

There is another point which, though, perhaps, not quite so important, is relevant here. The local authority is a democratic body responsible to the electors for what takes place. The Scottish Special Housing Association is not a democratic body in the same sense; its responsibility is expressed through the Secretary of State for Scotland. Therefore, the influence of the local people is exerted more directly through the local authority than through the S.S.H.A. For all these reasons, we feel that it ought to be left to the local authority.

The Under-Secretary of State has not given specific examples of difficulties which have arisen in this connection. I know of none. I know of a good many schemes which have been carried out by local authorities in Edinburgh, in Midlothian, part of which I have the honour to represent, and elsewhere, but I have never heard of difficulties arising over this question. When has it become difficult for the Scottish Special Housing Association to persuade a local authority that it requires land and is unable to get it?

I was going to ask whether the local authorities had expressed a view about this. The hon. Gentleman will say that they have never been consulted but nobody has protested, which is rather different, of course. The local authorities have never been asked for their views about it. Quite a lot of them, perhaps, have not read this particular Clause or, if they have, they may not have thought it worth while saying anything about it. Feeling may not be very great. I do not know.

In order to make his case, the hon. Gentleman ought to have said that the practice which has prevailed for a very long time does not work, that difficulties have arisen, that the Scottish Special Housing Association has had a problem and it is now felt necessary to do something to help it. In face of the lack of any evidence to this effect, it is very difficult for us to accept what the Government propose.