§ 83. Mr. Stokesasked the Minister of Transport what steps he proposes to take in order to secure for the benefit of the community the greatly enhanced land values which will accrue as a result of the expenditure of £106,000,000 of public money on road schemes already approved by the Ministry of Transport for execution during the next live years?
Captain HudsonA highway authority, requiring land for the construction or improvement of a road, may acquire it under Section 13 of the Restriction of Ribbon Development Act, 1935, and, if they are unable to do so by agreement, on terms which are in their opinion reasonable, they may purchase the land compulsorily. The compensation is then fixed by an arbitrator, who is directed by the Act to have regard to the extent to which the remaining contiguous lands belonging to the same person may be benefited by the purpose for which the landis acquired, and, in particular, in the case of land acquired for the widening of a road, set off against the value of the land acquired any increase in the value of other land belonging to the same person which will accrue by reason of the creation of a frontage to the road as widened.
§ Mr. StokesMay I ask the Minister to answer the question? The answer he has given is entirely beside the point. Does he not think it is quite time that a tax on land values was introduced?
Captain HudsonWhat I said was that we do take into consideration the increase of values as a result of any widening of the roads.
§ Mr. MacquistenIs there not power in the 1909 Act to acquire the land alongside?