HC Deb 19 May 1966 vol 728 c1543
50. Mr. Boyd-Carpenter

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will now reconsider his refusal to allow the Royal Borough of Kingston-upon-Thames to achieve economies in administration by concentrating their offices at the Guildhall, Kingston-upon-Thames.

Mr. Jay

No, Sir. The need to limit office development in the London area is as great as ever.

Mr. Boyd-Carpenter

Does the right hon. Gentleman accept that the offices of a London borough must be in London? Is it fair to ratepayers to force a local authority to incur the extra expenditure involved both in dispersal and the renting of expensive accommodation merely because it suits Government policy?

Mr. Jay

As the right hon. Gentleman knows, I have done my best to help him with several of his office cases. I am not convinced that a case has been made out here.