§ 25. Mr. Boydenasked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs what amount was expended by local authorities, and what percentage of this sum was contributed by his Department, by way of general grant during 1960, in respect of planting, reclaiming or otherwise improving derelict land; and what additional expenditures and measures are proposed for 1962.
§ Mr. RipponI do not know how much local authorities spend in total on improving derelict land under their various powers. Where it is done under planning powers the expenditure is of a kind that is taken into account in fixing general grant, but it cannot without a great deal of work be isolated from other planning expenditure which is also taken into account. The increased general grants for 1962–63 assumed a 43 per cent. increase in planning expenditure over the level of the previous year.
§ Mr. BoydenIs it not most extraordinary that when the Minister of Education has to deal with teachers' salaries he knows precisely how much of the general grant goes in those salaries, but that where it is a matter of urgent reconstruction the hon. Gentleman does not know the figure? Is not his programme almost as bad as that of the Board of Trade, which has done no reclamation or development in the last year, or is he really trying to stimulate an interest in this work?
§ Mr. RipponI do not think that it is at all extraordinary. The local authority associations do not find any difficulty at all in acting on this basis.