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Selected Mining Areas (Special Programme)

Volume 496: debated on Thursday 28 February 1952

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asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government if he will now make a statement about the early provision of more houses for miners.

Yes. The Government have sanctioned a special housing programme for selected mining areas. The purpose is to get more men working in the mines so as to increase coal output as rapidly as possible. Local housing authorities are continuing to co-operate wholeheartedly. But in some key areas more houses are urgently needed than the authorities themselves can build without unduly burdening their rates. The National Coal Board has, therefore, set up a special Housing Association which it will finance. This Association will work in close accord with the local authorities, and supplement the fine efforts they have made and are making. The additional houses will be built with all possible speed. They will be let both to existing miners who are badly housed, and to newcomers accepted for underground work. They will be of the same standards as council houses. The project has been discussed by the National Coal Board with the miners' leaders and the Board intend to discuss the arrangements for letting the houses with the National Union of Mineworkers.My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland asks me to say that the present arrangements under which the Scottish Special Housing Association, in co-operation with the National Coal Board and local authorities, build houses for miners in expanding coalfields in Scotland will continue.

Exchequer subsidyHousing authority's Rate subsidyCounty Council contribution (where appropriate)
£s.d.£s.d.£s.d.
General standard subsidy for ordinary house261408180
Special standard subsidy at Minister's discretion for houses for the agricultural population (S. 3 (1) of Act of 1946 to be amended)3514021002100
Special standard subsidy at Minister's discretion for areas of low rents and substantial housing responsibilities (S. 3 (2) of Act of 1946)3514021002100
Extra subsidy at the Minister's discretion in heavily burdened areas (s. 7 of the Act of 1946) not exceeding490Corresponding reduction from the general standard subsidy.
Extra subsidy for houses on expensive sites (S. 38 of the Act of 1949) where the developed site costs more than £3,000 per acre for each £1,000 or part thereof in excess, disregarding any excess over £10,000250150
Ordinary subsidy for flats on expensive sites (S. 4 and Part II of the First Schedule to the Act of 1946 as amended by S. 37 of the Act of 1949). An escalator provision according to the cost of the developed site as follows:—

Cost per acre of site as developedExchequer subsidyRate subsidy
£s.d.£s.d.
More than £1,500 but not more than £4,0005216017120
More than £4,000 but not more than £5,00054901830
More than £5,000 but not more than £6,0005510018100
More than £6,000 but not more than £8,00057001900
More than £8,000 but not more than £10,0005819019130
More than £10,000 but not more than £12,000601802060
More than £12,000£60 18s. 0d. increased by £1 19s. 0d. for each additional £2,000 or part of £2,000 in the cost per acre of the site as developed.£20 6s. 0d. increased by 13s. 0d. for each additional £2,000 or part of £2,000 in the cost per acre of the site as developed.