HC Deb 24 April 1967 vol 745 cc1126-7
11. Mr. Eyre

asked the Minister of Public Building and Works whether he will now make a statement on the operation of the Building Control Act, 1966.

Mr. Prentice

Yes, Sir. In the period from the enactment of the Building Control Act to the 31st March, 1967, 488 projects with a total value of £99–4 million have been licensed and 125 projects with a total value of £20 million have been refused.

With permission, I will circulate in the OFFICIAL REPORT a statement giving details broken down into regions and categories of work.

Mr. Eyre

I thank the Minister for that reply. Is he aware that the House is waiting for precise details of licences refused, for example, for bingo halls, and it is hoped that they will be in the OFFICIAL REPORT? The House would also like to have details in that connection about the number of extra houses claimed to have been built as a result of this licensing, if the Minister is still under that delusion?

Mr. Prentice

There is no delusion about this. The need for this type of control was explained to the House and was accepted by the majority of the House when the Act was passed. We have had no applications for bingo halls, but we have turned down a proposed night club in Hull, an actors' club in Piccadilly, a racecourse stand at Plumpton, cinema alterations in Leicester Square and a number of similar projects. I am sure hon. Members would agree that these are less essential than other projects which should go ahead.

Mr. Biggs-Davison

Can the right hon. Gentleman assure the House that the operation of the Act has resulted in a real shift away from what the Prime Minister calls the "dolce vita society" to the building of homes and other socially desirable buildings?

BUILDING CONTROL ACT, 1966
ANALYSES OF APPLICATIONS DETERMINED SINCE ENACTMENT AT 31ST MARCH, 1967
Category Authorised Refused Total
Number Value(£m.) Number Value(£m.) Number Value(£m.)
(a) By categories of work
New Housing … 23 6.2 — — 23 6.2
Industrial … 100 22.7 16 2.8 116 25.5
Offices … 102 16.7 37 6.8 139 23.5
Shops … 102 19.5 44 7.3 146 26.8
Entertainment … 44 6.0 23 2.5 67 8.5
Garages … 15 5.4 5 0.6 20 6.0
Schools and Colleges … 28 5.7 — — 28 5.7
Miscellaneous … 74 17.2 — — 74 17.2
TOTALS … 488 99.4 125 20.0 613 119.4
(b) By area
North … — — — — — —
Yorks and Humberside … 47 9.8 11 2.6 58 12.4
East Midland … 28 6.0 8 1.0 36 7.0
East Anglia … 22 5.3 3 0.5 25 5.8
South East
(1) London … 108 24.7 22 2.9 130 27.6.
(2) Eastern Counties … 32 6.2 9 1.6 41 7.8
(3) Southern Counties … 48 9.2 9 0.9 57 101
(4) South Eastern Counties … 38 7.3 16 3.2 54 10.5
SouthWest … 37 5.4 8 1.5 45 6.9
Wales … 13 3.2 1 0.1 14 3.3
West Midland … 49 10.8 22 2.8 71 13.6
North west … 49 9.7 16 2.9 65 12.6
Scotland … 17 1.8 — — 17 1.8
TOTALS … 488 99.4 125 20.0 613 119.4
Notes:
1. Housing and Industrial schemes, which include more than the specified limit of non-housing and non-industrial accommodation, are licensable and are shown above.
2. The Northern Region, being wholly a Development Area, is exempt from building control.