HC Deb 04 October 1944 vol 403 cc1054-6
Mr. Morrison

I beg to move, in page 11, line 42, after "concerned," insert: and with any local authority with whom consultation appears to him to be desirable. For the purpose of Clause 8 certain consultations with associations of local authorities are enjoined. I gather, however, that important local authorities, namely, the London County Council and the Corporation of the City of London, do not belong to those associations. The Amendment will enable their voice to be heard also in those consultations.

Amendment agreed to.

Mr. Morrison

I beg to move, in page 12, line 11, to leave out "Sections five and six," and to insert "Sub-section (2) or (3) of Section five."

Clause 5, as we have amended it, would allow grant consisting of the payment of the loan charges for a period of two years in respect of the acquisition or clearing of land in war-damaged areas, overspill areas, and land for highway purposes; half the loan charges for the third and fourth years in respect of over-spill land; and the loan charges, or a part of them, from the third to the tenth year—or in special circumstances, the fifteenth year—in respect of the acquisition of clearing of land in war-damaged areas only and subject to certain conditions.

Clause 8, as at present drafted, provides that, to the extent that a net gain may eventually accrue to an authority from the redevelopment of the land, all such grant shall be subject to repayment to the Exchequer, as also grant under Clause 6 in respect of highway contributions. The Amendment is designed to make only the grant in respect of land in war-damaged areas during the third to the tenth or fifteenth year subject to repayment, and to allow the first two years—and in respect of over-spill, the third and fourth years also—loan charges and the grant under Clause 6 as an outright grant. This concession is made in recognition of the fact that the local planning authorities can hardly be expected to obtain any return in the early years of their reconstruction projects.

In other words, the effect is that the first two years of grant in respect of loan charges are to be a free gift and are not to be taken back into account when the question of refund to the Exchequer arises. The same is also true as regards the grant for overspill, which was the full grant for two years, and half the grant for the next two. That is not to be taken into account when a balance is struck.

Amendment agreed to.

Clause, as amended, ordered to stand part of the Bill.