HC Deb 28 October 1965 vol 718 cc348-9
Q2. Mr. Boyd-Carpenter

asked the Prime Minister why he has transferred responsibility for leasehold questions from the Minister of Housing and Local Government to the Minister of Land and Natural Resources.

Mr. George Brown

I have been asked to reply.

Legislation about the leasehold system will concern several Ministers. My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister thought it appropriate that, because of his general responsibilities in relation to land, my right hon. Friend the Minister of Land and Natural Resources should be responsible for its preparation and introduction.

Mr. Boyd-Carpenter

Is not it a somewhat odd arrangement from the point of view of the machinery of Government that one Minister, the Minister of Housing, should be responsible for arrangements affecting landlord and tenants where there is a short tenancy and another Minister responsible where the tenancy is longer? Secondly, from the practical point of view, as we are told that the Minister of Land and Natural Resources has a not wholly uncontroversial Measure to bring forward regarding the Land Commission, does not this in practice mean that the Leaseholds Bill will be squeezed out of next Session as it has been out of this?

Mr. Brown

The right hon. and learned Gentleman knows full well that I cannot anticipate the Queen's Speech.