HC Deb 31 January 1961 vol 633 cc751-3
4. Mr. Sydney Irving

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs whether he will introduce legislation to place some control on the price of land where a decision of a local planning authority enables owners to sell agricultural land for housing purposes to local authorities or to private individuals.

Mr. Brooke

No, Sir.

Mr. Irving

Does not the right hon. Gentleman think it is grossly inequitable that where planning permission affects the value of land the whole increase should accrue to the owner regardless of the sort of need about which his hon. Friend has been speaking this afternoon? Is he not aware that many local authorities are being priced out of the market for land, especially for housing purposes? Will not he look at this matter again?

Mr. Brooke

There have been many discussions about a possible betterment charge, but the hon. Member's suggestion in this Question is an absurdity. I cannot see any reason why the State should interfere where a price has been agreed by a willing buyer and a willing seller, which is what this Question would imply.

Mr. Irving

Does not the right hon. Gentleman realise that there is no willing seller and buyer in this respect and that local authorities have their hands tied behind their backs? Will not he look at this question again?

Mr. Brooke

I can only address myself to the suggestion in the hon. Member's Question, which is not confined to local authorities but deals with private individuals, too; indeed, it is unlimited.

Mr. M. Stewart

Does the Minister realise that a moment ago he was talking about the responsibility of local authorities to deal with a particular problem? What is the good of saying that if he allows conditions to go on which make it extremely difficult for local authorities to fulfil their responsibilities?

Mr. Brooke

If the hon. Member wishes to revert to the situation where local authorities could purchase land compulsorily below market value, he had better say so openly.

Mr. Stewart

Does the Minister realise that my hon. Friend in his Question has made it applicable both to the sale of land to local authorities and the sale of land to private persons, so he cannot bring that one in? What he has to address himself to is whether he intends to allow this profiteering in the sale of land at the expense of every local authority with a sense of public duty to go on?

Mr. Brooke

The only way I can see in which we could effectively deal with that is that we should revert to the situation—of which I take it the hon. Member approves—where the owner of land which is compulsorily acquired receives a price below its market value. That has been rejected by Parliament, and rightly rejected.

12. Mr. Eden

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs what instructions he has given to local authorities regarding the sale of land orginally acquired by compulsory purchase order which is no longer required by them.

Mr. Brooke

I would refer my hon. Friend to paragraph 39 of the Annexe to Circular 48/59 which I sent to all local authorities on 11th August, 1959. I am sending him a copy of the circular.

Mr. Eden

Can my right hon. Friend assure the House that the effect of that circular is to stop the pernicious practice of local authorities profiteering at the expense of private citizens? Will he assure the House that land that local authorities have acquired by compulsory purchase but no longer require for their specific purposes is first offered back at the current market value to the citizen from whom it was acquired in the first place?

Mr. Brooke

I would invite my hon. Friend to study the circular, because if a local authority has, with no question of compulsory purchase powers, acquired land by agreement, I do not see why it should be bound to sell that land back later at the price that was paid for it. The advice I have given to local authorities is that when they sell land the sale should normally be at the best price obtainable, but that I will be ready in special circumstances to consider applications for my consent to dispose to former owners at less than the best price.