asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many local authorities have acted to raise rents in advance of the Housing (Financial Provisions) (Scotland) Bill becoming law.

This information is not yet available.

When the information does become available, the Under-Secretary will find the expected result, that very few local authorities in Scotland have applied the provisions of the Bill in advance. Does this not show that the Bill is extremely unwelcome in Scotland? Will he, therefore, withdraw it as from now?

There has been no question of applying the provisions of the Bill in advance. What we have done is to undertake, in the course of the introduction of the Act, that local authorities who increase their rents in the interim will get credit for having done so when we introduce the Act. But there is no question of anticipating the will of Parliament in introducing the Act.