HC Deb 19 June 1963 vol 679 cc436-7
17. Mr. John Hall

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he has now considered the report submitted to the Covent Garden Market Authority on the re-location of Covent Garden Market; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Soames

The report was commissioned by the Covent Garden Market Authority and is addressed to them. They are at present consulting the interests affected. On this basis they will form their own view and will then make recommendations to me. These I await.

Mr. Hall

Does my right hon. Friend realise that of all the sites examined the last site that is likely to be chosen for the redevelopment of the Market is the Covent Garden Market site itself, and that in order to site it anywhere else the Act would have to be amended? Would it not save time if my right hon. Friend were to introduce amending legislation now?

Mr. Soames

The House would find considerable difficulty in introducing amending legislation to put the Market elsewhere without specifying where it is to be put. It would be more advisable to await the decision of the Authority which was set up by this House to decide upon the rebuilding of Covent Garden, and then for the Government to make up their mind. If the Market is to be put outside Covent Garden—and I agree with my hon. Friend that the most likely solution appears to be that it should be outside that area—this could be arranged through a Private Bill emanating from the Authority itself.

Mr. Hall

Does not my right hon. Friend remember the Amendment which I sought to introduce, which would have given the Authority the right to select alternative sites? This would be a quite simple Measure to introduce.

Mr. Soames

I remember my hon. Friend's Amendment, which would enable the Authority to rebuild the Market on any approved site outside the Covent Garden area. My hon. Friend maintained that the Authority should be left free to decide where to develop the Market. It was largely because of recommendations by my hon. Friend and others, both here and in another place, that during the passage of the Bill the Government made it clear that if the Authority decided that it wanted to go outside the Covent Garden area we would not stand in its way in proceeding by a Private Bill. It would not, however, have been acceptable to the House, nor do I think that it would be acceptable today, to pass legislation giving the Authority carte blanche about where the site should be before the location of the site is decided.