§ Q4. Mr. Evelyn Kingasked the Prime Minister if he will transfer supervision of the Land Commission from the 1232 Ministry of Housing and Local Government to the Treasury.
§ The Prime MinisterNo, Sir.
§ Mr. KingHas not Treasury pressure turned this levy into little more than a tax, and, in so far as it now depends upon a chance date in the calendar, has it not become almost a game of chance? If not the Treasury, would the Prime Ministr consider putting it under the Minister responsible for sport?
§ The Prime MinisterThat is very funny, and no doubt the hon. Gentleman feels strongly about the view that he has expressed. Indeed, he has expressed it before. However, in Question and Answer at Question Time I have no hope of converting him. But he will be aware that we have had two major debates on this matter and, more recently, when Clauses 36 and 38 of the Finance Bill were debated, all these points were argued. I cannot add anything to what was said by my right hon. Friends in those debates.
§ Mr. Graham PageIs it not a fact that the Land Commission is insolvent? Has it not borrowed millions of £s more than the value of the land that it holds? Would it not be wise to hand over to the Treasury this insolvent undertaking and prevent its inept meddling in land development in the future?
§ The Prime MinisterAgain, these matters were dealt with in the debates to which I have referred. For reasons which the hon. Gentleman knows, the land acquisition programme has proceeded more slowly than we hoped. I know the desire of hon. Gentlemen opposite to return to a free market in land, under which vast profits would be made. They were made for 13 years, and the then Government refused to do anything about the situation when we pressed them. Millions of pounds were made out of local authorities and owner-occupiers.
§ Mr. HooleyWould not my right hon. Friend agree that the major purpose of the Land Commission is to acquire land for socially useful purposes and that it could play a useful part in dealing with the general problem of dereliction? Will he resist all attempts to turn it into a tax collecting unit?
§ The Prime MinisterAs I have said, we know the reasons why the land acquisition programme has proceeded slowly. It has been a question of the release by local authorities of land for development. As that is improving, and as the release increases, the Commission can take on the principal function entrusted to it by Parliament.
§ Mr. SpeakerOrder. Mr. Rodgers, to answer Question No. 74.