(c) crown copyright
Catalogue Reference:CAB/129/95
Image Reference:0017
j
SECRET
100
(THIS D O C U M E N T IS T H E P R O P E R T Y O F HER B R I T A N N I C M A J E S T Y ' S G O V E R N M E N T )
a C . ( 5 8 ) 217
COPY NO.
^
3
IOth O c t o b e r , 1958
CABINET
HOUSING P O L I C Y ;
HOME OWNERSHIP
M e m o r a n d u m b y t h e M i n i s t e r of h o u s i n g a n d L o c a l G o v e r n m e n t
and M i n i s t e r for Welsh Affairs
On 29th S e p t e m b e r t h e C a b i n e t a p p r o v e d t h e p r o p o s a l s s e t out
C . ( 5 8 ) 195 f o r a s c h e m e t o a s s i s t h o u s e p u r c h a s e t h r o u g h t h e b u i l d i n g
provided that the s o c i e t i e s a g r e e d to p a y i n t e r e s t on m o n e y b o r r o w e d
the G o v e r n m e n t at a r a t e not m o r e than \ p e r cent lower than t h e r a t e
to t h e i r own b o r r o w e r s (C.C.(58) 73rd C o n c l u s i o n s , Minute 6).
in
societies,
from
charged
2.
I a m g l a d t o r e p o r t t h a t t h e r e p r e s e n t a t i v e s of t h e s o c i e t i e s h a v e n o w
agreed to this.
3.
I m m e d i a t e l y a f t e r t h e m e e t i n g of t h e C a b i n e t , t h e L o r d C h a n c e l l o r
a u t h o r i s e d m e t o h a v e t h e d r a f t i n g of t h e B i l l , p u t i n h a n d ; a n d t h a t h a s b e e n
d o n e . I n a c c o r d a n c e w i t h t h e d e c i s i o n of t h e C a b i n e t , t h e B i l l w i l l a l s o
p r o v i d e f o r a r e v i s e d s y s t e m of i m p r o v e m e n t a n d c o n v e r s i o n g r a n t s .
The
Bill should be r e a d y for s u b m i s s i o n t o the L e g i s l a t i o n C o m m i t t e e b y t h e
e n d of N o v e m b e r .
4.
I hope that the Cabinet will now a g r e e that a r e f e r e n c e should b e m a d e to
t h i s B i l l i n t h e Q u e e n ' s S p e e c h . I w o u l d t h e n in t h e D e b a t e o n t h e A d d r e s s
e x p l a i n t h e e s s e n t i a l s of t h e s c h e m e , v i z . t h a t i t w o u l d b e o p e r a t e d t h r o u g h
a p p r o v e d building s o c i e t i e s , and t h a t it would e n s u r e 95 p e r cent a d v a n c e s on
the older houses.
5.
T h e r e p r e s e n t a t i v e s of t h e s o c i e t i e s a r e e x t r e m e l y a n x i o u s t h a t t h e
d e t a i l s of t h e a g r e e m e n t r e a c h e d w i t h t h e m s h o u l d b e p u b l i s h e d a s s o o n a s
p o s s i b l e a f t e r it is a n n o u n c e d t h a t t h e s c h e m e will b e o p e r a t e d t h r o u g h t h e m .
Individual societies will obviously c l a m o u r for t h e s e , and the public at l a r g e
will a l s o want t o k n o w how the s c h e m e will w o r k .
It i s p a r t i c u l a r l y i m p o r t a n t
for t h e s o c i e t i e s t o know t h e conditions with which t h e y will have t o c o m p l y
if t h e y a r e t o a c h i e v e t r u s t e e s t a t u s a n d t o b e a b l e t o p a r t i c i p a t e i n t h e s c h e m e
for G o v e r n m e n t l o a n s . T h e s e h a v e b e e n a g r e e d b e t w e e n t h e i r r e p r e s e n t a t i v e s
a n d t h e R e g i s t r a r of F r i e n d l y S o c i e t i e s , b u t t h e o n l y w a y of m a k i n g t h e m w i d e l y
known is b y a White P a p e r .
6.
I would t h e r e f o r e p r o p o s e t h a t a w e e k o r s o a f t e r t h e D e b a t e on t h e
A d d r e s s t h e S e c r e t a r y of S t a t e f o r S c o t l a n d a n d I s h o u l d l a y a W h i t e P a p e r
explaining what has been a g r e e d , and that I should mention during the Debate
t h a t t h i s would be d o n e . It a p p e a r s t o m e t h a t a n y d e m a n d for a d e b a t e on t h e
W h i t e P a p e r c o u l d b e s t a v e d off b y r e f e r e n c e t o o p p o r t u n i t i e s f o r d e b a t e o n
the Bill.
r
-
101
SECRET
7.
T h e r e h a s n o t b e e n t i m e t o j o i n t h e S e c r e t a r y of S t a t e i n t h i s p a p e r ,
b u t he i s a w a r e t h a t I a m c i r c u l a t i n g it a n d , I u n d e r s t a n d , i s c o n t e n t t h a t I
should do s o .
8.
I seek the Cabinefs approval to the p r o g r a m m e
K.B.
M i n i s t r y of H o u s i n g
a n d L o c a l G o v e r n m e n t , S. W . l .
2 0 t h O c t o b e r , 1958
-2­
outlined.