HC Deb 02 April 1953 vol 513 cc1354-5
34. Mr. Vane

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether, in order to encourage local authorities to use difficult sites rather than good agricultural land for housing, he will make good the extra cost to them by drawing on the National Land Fund.

Mr. Boyd-Carpenter

There is no statutory authority to use the National Land Fund for this purpose.

Mr. Vane

Would not my hon. Friend see whether the Finance Bill, which I expect we will soon be considering, cannot include a Clause enabling us to use the National Land Fund for this purpose, which is surely in keeping with its original objects?

Mr. Boyd-Carpenter

I dissent from the last part of my hon. Friend's supplementary question. [HON. MEMBERS: "Hear, hear."] I do not think that the original object of the National Land Fund had anything to do with this consideration, which is much more a planning matter and is in general, therefore, a question for the Minister of Housing and Local Government.

Mr. Stokes

Does not the Financial Secretary think that if the Government introduced a comprehensive rate on site values, local authorities would be encouraged to use difficult sites?

Mr. Boyd-Carpenter

That is another matter.

Mr. Vane

Will not my hon. Friend look at this matter again? Does he not realise that from exhortation alone local authorities will never turn from the easy to the more difficult sites? Surely the Fund, which has become larger from interest receipts as the years have gone by, could usefully be drawn upon to save much good land for the country and to add to its beauty without additional burden upon the ratepayer or taxpayer.

Mr. Boyd-Carpenter

This Fund was set up for a different purpose. I am not without sympathy for the considerations relating to planning which my hon. Friend has in mind, but as I have already said, those are matters for my right hon. Friend the Minister of Housing and Local Government.