§ 1. Mr. Woofasked the Minister of Power if he will give a general direction to the National Coal Board that no public land should be disposed of to private developers for the purpose of house building for leasehold.
§ Mr. WoofIs the Parliamentary Secretary aware that a firm of building contractors has acquired approximately 25 acres of land in the Wickham area of the Blaydon constituency for the purpose of private house development? Is he also further aware that the holding company of the builders is the benefactor of individual leaseholders as a result of such transactions? Does he not think that this is quite wrong in principle and that it is nothing less than 446 a scandal that land belonging to the nation should be sold to land speculators operating leasehold businesses? Will not the right hon. Gentleman consult his right hon. Friend the Minister with a view to giving a directive to the National Coal Board to include a covenant forbidding this in future in land sales for the purpose of house building?
§ Mr. PeytonNo, Sir. I think it would be absolutely wrong to fetter the discretion of a nationalised industry in the way the hon. Gentleman has suggested.