§ 4. Mr. Lubbockasked the Minister of Housing and Local Government if he will estimate the additional cost to be incurred by local authorities in the year 1969–70 resulting from the laying of an Order on 1st June implementing Part II of the Caravan Sites Act 1968; and what proportion of total spending in the year this figure represents.
§ Mr. GreenwoodI can make no precise estimate. I am anxious to make 1198 progress, but I do not think it would be wise to make an Order bringing this Part of the Act into force until I am satisfied that to do so will not impose an undue burden on local authorities at a time when they are subject to stringent economies in staff and finance.
§ Mr. LubbockHow can the Minister possibly give me such an answer when the Joint Parliamentary Secretary said a moment ago that under 13 Acts passed in the 1967–68 Session of Parliament additional duties costing millions of £s have been laid on local authorities? What consideration has the right hon. Gentleman 1199 given to the figures which I have submitted to his Department, to Lord Kennet, showing the vast amounts of unproductive expenditure now being incurred by local authorities throughout England and Wales?
§ Mr. GreenwoodIn replying to an earlier supplementary question from the hon. Gentleman, my hon. Friend the Joint Parliamentary Secretary emphasised the difficulty of providing the figures for which he asked. I have been examining the figures of expenditure which the hon. Gentleman has supplied to my noble Friend but, frankly, I do not think that they provide a very reliable guide on which comparisons can be made.
§ Mr. MacdonaldWhen my right hon. Friend says that to implement this part of the Act would impose a burden on local authorities, will he bear in mind that his failure to bring in this part of the Act is imposing a burden on those local authorities which must take action to provide sites?
§ Mr. GreenwoodI appreciate that that is one of the factors which operate at the present time. However, I remind hon. Members of what I have said in the past, which is that when local authorities wish to apply for loan sanction in this way we treat applications very sympathetically indeed.
§ Mr. LubbockOn a point of order, Mr. Speaker. In view of the unsatisfactory nature of the Minister's answer, I beg to give notice that I shall seek to raise this matter on the Adjournment.