§ 49. Mrs. Mannasked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he is aware of the overspill problem within the Clyde Valley; and what measures of assistance to local authorities he proposes to help in a solution.
Commander GalbraithThe problem of overspill in the Clyde Valley area is receiving the urgent consideration of the Clyde Valley Regional Planning Advisory 1027 Committee. Their report, which is expected shortly, will deal with the extent of the problem and of the measures which might be taken to deal with it.
§ Mrs. MannIf the Clyde Valley Planning Committee decides in the affirmative, will the right hon. and gallant Gentleman be able to say that Scotland will get the benefit of the Town Development Act just as England does?
Commander GalbraithWe do not know that benefits will accrue. We would rather wait and see what the Committee reports before we make up our minds about this.
§ Mr. Patrick MaitlandWill my right hon. and gallant Friend direct the attention of housing authorities to the importance of providing housing where there are sites attractive to industry and where surplus labour is available?
§ Mrs. MannSurely the right hon. and gallant Gentleman is showing an amazing ignorance when he states that he is not sure if there is an overspill problem in the Clyde Valley? It is well known that Glasgow has already intimated that it has an overspill problem requiring 60,000 houses.
Commander GalbraithThe hon. Lady has taken me up wrongly. I never made any such remark. I said that we were not quite sure of the benefits which would accrue to that area as a result of the application of the Town Development Act, 1952.
§ 50. Mrs. Mannasked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will appoint a commission to inquire and report on the distribution of population and industry over Scotland as a whole, in order to achieve a more balanced economy.
Commander GalbraithComprehensive information about the distribution of population and industry in Scotland is already available to the Government and numerous aspects of the problem have been separately reported upon by Government committees, the Scottish Board for Industry, committees of the Scottish Council (Development and Industry) and other bodies. In these circumstances my right hon. Friend does not think that a general commission of inquiry is necessary at the present time.
§ Mrs. MannWould the right hon. and gallant Gentleman ask his right hon. Friend if he would consider a commission or planning committee to view Scotland as a unit because up to now Scotland has been incorporated in corn-Departmental planning? In other words, the Clyde Valley Committee, the Eastern Committee, the Highland Development Committee have been set up to deal with separate areas, whereas the problems of one are probably created by the problems of the other. Would he not consider a planning committee for the lot?
Commander GalbraithI will not add to the reply which I have given to the hon. Lady. She knows perfectly well that there are different problems in the different areas.