21. Surgeon Lieut.-Commander Bennettasked the Minister of Local Government and Planning what negotiations have now taken place between his Department, the Caltex Oil Company, the Ministry of Agriculture and other interested parties in respect of the projected oil refinery at Brownwich, on Southampton Water; and what conclusions have been reached.
§ Mr. DaltonThe Company have not yet applied for planning permission in respect of any site in this area. As soon as they do, I will give it immediate consideration.
Surgeon Lieut.-Commander BennettIn view of the undertaking that there would be a public inquiry before anything was started, and in view of the right hon. Gentleman's answer, would he say why work has been permitted to be started on the site?
§ Mr. DaltonI did not commit myself to there being a public inquiry. I was very careful on that ground, for security reasons. I said that there would be an inquiry, but the first step must be for the company concerned to put in an application for the use of some particular site. They have not yet done that, and until that step has been taken I cannot officially intervene.
Surgeon Lieut.-Commander BennettIt ought not to be assumed, then, that the private inquiry has already taken place?
§ Mr. DaltonNo, Sir. Nothing can be assumed. The drill is that they put in a request for planning permission. They put it in to the county council. This case is so very important from the national point of view that I have given an undertaking that I myself will call it in as soon as it goes to the county council and will consider it, but the firm must take the first step.
§ Sir G. JeffreysDoes that mean that the right hon. Gentleman considers that the opinions of the county council and of local authorities, and local opinion, are of no importance in this matter at all?
§ Mr. DaltonNo, Sir. It does not mean that. Of course, as I have said before, I will carefully consider the views of the county council, but this is a matter of over-riding national importance.