HC Deb 19 March 1969 vol 780 cc477-8
18. Mr. Milne

asked the President of the Board of Trade when the report of the Committee to examine the possibilities of a National Exhibition Centre can be expected; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Crosland

The Committee referred to is an advisory body which is not required to present a formal report. At this stage I cannot usefully add to the reply which was given to my hon. Friend in the Adjournment debate on 12th February.—[Vol. 777; c. 1491–1500.]

Mr. Milne

My right hon. Friend is undoubtedly aware of the importance of an exhibition centre of this type. Is he aware that the present exhibition centres being provided are inadequate to our export needs? Can he speed things up so that we get a National Exhibition Centre as soon as possible?

Mr. Crosland

Like my hon. Friend, I am strongly aware of the importance of getting the National Exhibition Centre. There are genuine difficulties in terms of its location, the finance and the type of organisation to run it, but, again, I suspect like my hon. Friend, I am becoming very impatient at the delay in achieving this, and I entirely share his views about the need for haste.

Mr. Kenneth Lewis

Will the Minister bear in mind that if we are to have a National Exhibition Centre it should be in the centre of London, or somewhere like that? It would be quite useless to put it 15 or 16 miles out—for example, Northolt is suggested—because it is important to business men and other visitors coming to London.

Mr. Crosland

No, Sir. I do not think the experience of exhibition centres in other countries, many of which I have visited, as I am sure the hon. Gentleman has, supports the view that they should be or can in practice conceivably be in the centre of large cities. The site at Northolt, which is now the favoured site, and which I hope will be the final one, is just about the right distance and the right size to allow us to produce a centre that is big enough.

Mr. Ford

Is my right hon. Friend aware that I have a Question down tomorrow that will give the interesting possibility of the establishment of an exhibition site at the old Avro factory at Yeadon in Yorkshire?

Mr. Crosland

I am grateful to my hon. Friend. I like to consider all interesting possibilities, but this has come into this picture at a rather late stage.

Mr. Corfield

Do we take it from what the right hon. Gentleman said that the intention is to close Northolt Airport?

Mr. Crosland

No, Sir.