asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the average rent of local authority houses.

The latest available rent figures relate to November 1963, when the average council house rent in Scotland was £34. 9s. 4d. a year, or 13s. 3d. a week.

If the average is 13s. 3d. a week, it presumably means that some rents will be less than 13s. 3d. Does the Secretary of State think that an average rent of 13s. 3d. a week is reasonable when earnings in Scotland are over £16 a week? [HON. MEMBERS: "0h."] Further, is he aware that the leader of the Glasgow Corporation said that he could build more houses if he had extra financial resources, and do not these low rents now being charged prevent cities like Glasgow from having a pool from which they could build more houses? Will he— [HON. MEMBERS: "Speech."]— use his influence to get backward local authorities, most of which, I am sorry to say, are Socialist—[Interruption.]——to charge more reasonable rents and so remove the unfair burden that at present rests on too many ratepayers?

Those were six very well read supplementary questions. First of all, the hon. Gentleman should appreciate just exactly what the statutory duties of the Secretary of State for Scotland are in respect of this matter. There has been no change during the last 13 years in those statutory duties—and the hon. Gentleman was at the Scottish Office for three years. I have no intention of becoming a dictator and laying down rents for local authorities to charge, but I do expect local authorities to be reasonable and to adopt a reasonable attitude. But the policies of the late Administration were not such as to create that attitude amongst local authorities.

Mr. Edward M. Taylor:

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the average rent of municipal houses in Glasgow; and what average rent would require to be charged if no contribution were made to Glasgow's housing accounts from the city's rates.

The average council house rent in Glasgow in November 1963 was 12s. 2d. a week. In order to balance the corporation's housing revenue account for 1963–64 without any contribution from the rates, an average rent of 23s. a week would have been required.

Mr. Taylor:

Would the Secretary of State agree that there is a scandalous position in that more than one-third of the population of Glasgow, irrespective of need, are being subsidised by the other two-thirds? Will he make efforts to persuade Glasgow Corporation, as did the last Secretary of State, to take some action? Can we expect some action from him, and what action will he take?

The actions I take will be in accordance with my statutory responsibilities. Responsibility for fixing rents is laid fairly and squarely on the local authority. The Government which the hon. Member supported—and, I dare say, proclaimed that support pretty widely during the recent election—made no change in that regard. I do not propose to change that basic statutory responsibility.

Do not artificially low rates in certain areas deter private building, which was mentioned in the previous Question? Does not this mean less housing in Scotland?

I do not agree with the hon. Member. I think private building is deterred in Glasgow by the absence of sites, by the absence of land.