HC Deb 03 March 1959 vol 601 cc182-3
13. Mrs. Butler

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs whether, in the interests of clean air, he will ask local authorities which have established smokeless zones to report to him the principal difficulties they experience, including any local shortage of the smokeless fuels which householders wish to burn, in order that the difficulties may be considered and removed and the establishment of smokeless zones greatly extended.

Mr. Bevins

I am sending the hon. Member a copy of a circular issued on 26th January which invites local authorities in the "black areas" in England and Wales to consider a five-year programme for smoke control areas in their districts and to let my right hon. Friend know their conclusions. I expect that local authorities which already have smoke control areas will tell him of any difficulties they foresee as a result of their experience so far.

On the availability of smokeless fuel supplies locally, my right hon. Friend is guided by the views of regional advisory committees under the chairmanship of the regional directors of the Ministry of Power. An officer of the Department who recently visited a number of smoke control areas reported that the changeover to smokeless fuels has so far proceeded reasonably smoothly, but my right hon. Friend will continue to watch the position closely.

Mrs. Butler

Can the Parliamentary Secretary say whether the circular that he has issued to local authorities on this point makes provision for the information, when it has been received by the Minister, to be co-ordinated and disseminated to local authorities which have not yet introduced smokeless zones? Some action of this kind will be necessary to spur them on, because I believe that there were only twenty-eight smoke control orders in operation at the end of last year.

Mr. Bevins

When the replies to the circular are received, they will be collated and my right hon. Friend, in conjunction with the Clean Air Council, will decide what the next policy steps ought to be.