§ 3. Mr. Snowasked the Attorney-General what procedures regarding notice to the public are required to be followed by public departments desiring to abrogate a published intention to acquire, or support the purchase of, land at present in the possession of another public department.
§ The Solicitor-GeneralThere are no statutory provisions governing the procedure followed by public departments in this matter. If the hon. Member has any specific instance in mind, I suggest that he should put a Question to the Minister in charge of the Department concerned.
§ Mr. SnowDoes the Solicitor-General consider that the public interest is well served in the case where there is a relatively sudden change of Departmental policy and where a local authority or, for that matter, potential private purchasers may not have time to reassess their financial liabilities and assets in the matter?
§ The Solicitor-GeneralI quite appreciate that there may be difficulty in particular cases about a sudden change of policy, but that would be entirely a matter for the Department concerned. I am afraid that I could not give a general opinion about the public interest or the effect upon it.