§ 14. Mr. Wingfield Digbyasked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs in how many cases in the last year planning powers have been used to prevent disused railway lines from becoming derelict, unsightly and overgrown with weeds.
§ The Joint Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Housing and Local Government (Mr. F. V. Corfield)This information is not available since local authorities are not required to notify my right hon. Friend of schemes for treating derelict, neglected or unsightly land.
§ Mr. DigbyAs this is likely to become an increasing problem, may I ask my hon. Friend what steps his Department is taking to cope with it, and to get in touch with local planning authorities in order to see that they cure this problem as it arises?
§ Mr. CorfieldLocal planning authorities and local authorities generally have a wide variety of powers under which they can acquire land, or require land of this sort to be dealt with. My right hon. Friend does not consider that any special consideration should be drawn to their attention at the present moment.
§ Sir J. MaitlandWould not a good way of solving this problem be to continue to use the railways?