Mr Richard Brooman-White: It might be convenient if I intervene at this stage, without prejudice to what the Chair may decide in future. Any further points—certainly points concerning Great Britain as a whole—will be dealt with as far as possible in the time by my hon. Friend in replying later tonight. The hon. Member for Central Ayrshire (Mr. Manuel) ranged widely. He asked about the consolidation of legislation...
Mr Richard Brooman-White: I think that this will have to be covered by the nature of the consolidation Measure. However, we note the point made by the hon. Member. I think that it would be to the convenience of the local authorities and others concerned to have the widest measure of consolidation we can get. I do not want to argue with the hon. Member about building figures at this stage. Rather do I want to deal...
Mr Richard Brooman-White: That is the answer to the point made by the hon. Gentleman. If he looks at this again he will see that there is substance in it. The question of improvements is the point in Part II where there is a great divergence between the English and Scottish provisions. The most important divergence is in Clause 22 which differs in substance from the English Clause 20. The point is that in Scottish...
Mr Richard Brooman-White: In Scotland the compulsory power is limited to tenement buildings in an improvement area. Clause 23 is inserted for much the same reasons. It was foreshadowed by paragraph 65 of the White Paper and I need not dwell on it. I am sure that hon. Members will welcome these additional powers. I now come to Part IV. I think that the hon. Member for Central Ayrshire was under a slight...
Mr Richard Brooman-White: I was about to come to that. I was not wasting sympathy on the hon. Member. I was saying that even with expert advice this part of the Bill is involved. That is all I am saying and I apologise for an error in printing which might have added to the difficulties of hon. Members. That is in Part II of Schedule 3 where the references to Sections 61–66 ought to be references to Sections 60–65...
Mr Richard Brooman-White: I am not trying to blame the printer. I am accepting responsibility and apologising to the House for the error. Hon. Members will appreciate that what we are trying to do is perfectly simple in essence. The objective of this operation is to have in reserve for Scotland powers precisely similar to those which are being taken in England to deal with the abuse of Rachmanism. This is a reserve...
Mr Richard Brooman-White: The answer to that is that the increase in grant in Scotland applies to all types of improvement. There are several miscellaneous Clauses in Part V and I draw attention to Clauses 92 and 93 which give wider powers to the Scottish Special Housing Association, which will be generally welcome. The association is to play an increasing part in providing houses for incoming workers in the growth...
Mr Richard Brooman-White: I do not think that the hon. Gentleman will have to be patient for many weeks more on that matter.
Mr Richard Brooman-White: Building is planned to start in spring 1965.
Mr Richard Brooman-White: We shall do our best to expedite the work. It is hoped that the hospital will come into commission in 1967.
Mr Richard Brooman-White: Of the eight children at present on the waiting list for admission for assessment, seven have been waiting for less than six months and one for 12 months. Children are admitted according to their need and not in simple chronological order. The maximum waiting period at present is about 12 months.
Mr Richard Brooman-White: The hon. Member will know that a unit is being established shortly in Dundee, but the question is one of staff as much as of accommodation.
Mr Richard Brooman-White: In this unit there are thirty-five beds in the psychiatric wards for children and twenty children are on the waiting list.
Mr Richard Brooman-White: The numbers of new cases of venereal disease registered at Greenock treatment centre in the last three years are:
Mr Richard Brooman-White: The hon. Member has not asked for the figures of the Dunoon district in this Question. Information about clinics is, for obvious reasons, confidential.
Mr Richard Brooman-White: There are satisfactory working arrangements between the medical officers of the United States Navy and the officers of the local health authority on all matters of common interest and no special liaison committee has been found necessary.
Mr Richard Brooman-White: Local matters can be left to bedealt with adequately through the liaison between the United States authorities and the local health authority. On the general implications of the hon. Member's remarks, even as an ex-soldier I cannot share his dim view of all sailors.
Mr Richard Brooman-White: Between the censuses of 1951 and 1961 the male population of Scotland aged between 20 and 40 years fell by 49,662, or 7·1 per cent., reflecting a decline of 14 per cent. in male births twenty years earlier.
Mr Richard Brooman-White: Emigration is undoubtedly a factor, but the main factor is the decline in the birth rate during the earlier period reflected in the figures I have given.
Mr Richard Brooman-White: This information could not be obtained without unjustifiable expense of time and labour.
