§ 37. Mr. W Hamiltonasked the secretary of state for Scotland what is the estimated price being paid for land for housing purposes by local authorities; 1300 and what was the comparable figure in 1951 and in 1955
§ Mr. G. CampbellMy right hon. Friend regrets that he does not have this information.
§ Mr. HamiltonCould not the hon. Friend to procure it? Would it not be quite easy to ask the major housing authorities or a representatives number of housing authorities for the information? It could be got in a fairly short time, and it is very important to know what the increased burden on local authorities is.
§ Mr. CampbellThere has been no justification to date for the effort and expense of a comprehensive central record of local authority transactions. As the hon. Gentleman knows, local authorities can acquire land without my right hon. Friend's approval. If the hon. Gentleman is concerned about high prices of land, I can tell him that my right hon. Friend keeps a close watch on this and he has enough information to keep him abreast of high prices, without all the data which would provide answers to the particular questions which the hon. Gentleman asks.