§ 1. Mr. Longdenasked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs how many local authorities in Greater London and elsewhere, respectively, have taken powers under the Clean Air Act 1956 to make smoke control areas; and how long he anticipates it will be before the whole country is so controlled.
§ The Joint Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Housing and Local Government (Mr. F. V. Corfield)Seventy-six local authorities in Greater London and 218 in the remainder of England and Wales have made smoke control orders. It is not likely ever to be necessary to apply smoke control over the whole country; the local authorities' estimates of the time needed in the black areas are to be found in "Smoke Control (England and Wales): 1962–66", a copy of which I am sending my hon. Friend.
§ Mr. LongdenI thank my hon. Friend for that reply. Es there anything that he can do to speed this up in London, 642 which is still one of the dirtiest cities in the world? They do these things much quicker in St. Louis and Pittsburg.
§ Mr. CorfieldIt is programmed that 85 per cent. of Greater London will be covered by orders by 1970 and only six of the Greater London authorities expect to be still making orders after 1975. Those authorities are being individually visited and encouraged to make more rapid progress.