National Exhibition Centre (Hansard, 28 January 1970)

§ 21. Mr. Hall-Davis
asked the President of the Board of Trade if he has now considered the proposals submitted to him for the siting of a national exhibition 1534 centre; what conclusions he has reached; and if he will make a statement.

§ 42. Mr. Kenneth Baker
asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will now make an announcement about the national exhibition centre.

§ 62. Mr. Speed
asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will now state the proposed size, date of commencement of building, and location of the national exhibition centre.

§ 65. Mr. Barnett
asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will now make a statement on the siting of a national exhibition centre.

§ 67. Mr. Sheldon
asked the President of the Board of Trade what recent consideration he has given to the siting of the national exhibition centre; and if he will make a statement.

§ Mr. Mason
I have decided that the proposal by the Birmingham City Council and the Birmingham Chamber of Commerce and Industry offers the best possibility of a viable development within a reasonable time scale, giving at the same time substantial and continuing interest by representatives of both industry and commerce and of local interests. I am therefore today giving the Birmingham Council and Chamber the firm assurances of support they require before proceeding in detail with the necessary planning procedures and financial and development discussions. Subject to a satisfactory outcome, Government support will be assured by means of the appropriate financial authorisations and provisions.

§ Mr. Hall-Davis
Would not the right hon. Gentleman agree that the fundamental purpose of a national exhibition centre is to increase earnings, and if this gamble on siting the centre outside London were to fail then the London area would lose earnings from overseas visitors and the Midlands would lose the earnings from goods which they would have sold if the centre had been more central?

§ Mr. Mason
I am not so pessimistic. I do not think that it is a gamble and I do not think it will fail. Britain is tending to be by-passed by European 1535 countries. When I go abroad, visiting major trade exhibitions I do not go to Bonn or Berlin, I go to Frankfurt, Hanover, Dusseldorf. I do not go to Rome, I go to Turin or Milan. There is no reason why people should not recognise that sites exist north of London.

§ Mr. Baker
Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that the potential site is right in the middle of green belt, that the major developer interested has already gone on record in the Birmingham Post as saying that London is the proper place and that the decision he has announced today is as bad as Stanstead and will be another white elephant for the Government?

§ Mr. Mason
The hon. Gentleman should realise first that there is only one positive proposal before me: it is for Birmingham or nothing. It is time that we had extra exhibition facilities in Britain. In London there is no allowance at all for planning, it would just congest London more. Secondly, it is for the G.L.C. to put forward proposals. It has not done so. No financial provisions have been put forward whatever.

§ Mr. Speed
May I congratulate the Minister on his courage and wisdom in siting the centre in the region which provides 40 per cent. of the country's exports. May I ask him specifically if he will ensure that there is full cooperation between Government Departments, particularly the Ministry of Transport, the Birmingham Council and Chamber of Commerce and the local authorities in my area, so that this development will not be delayed and, in my constituency, local people will be able to take an active part in seeing this development through to its fruition.

§ Mr. Mason
There has already been close liaison between my Department and the Birmingham Chamber and the Birmingham City Council. There is no reason why this should not continue. British Rail will make sure that there is a positive statement about the advantages of being able to use their direct line, almost to the Birmingham centre itself.

§ Mr. Barnett
Would my right hon. Friend bear in mind that as a provincial Member I would on the whole want to see everything possible moved to the provinces, particularly to Manchester, 1536 which is rather better than Birmingham? Would he, nevertheless, bear in mind that it does not matter what we, as such, want in this matter? Is he aware that it is a question of whether foreign buyers will go? Does he appreciate that this is really the important factor, and if he intends to carry out any viability study will he ensure that it will take into consideration where the buyers will go?

§ Mr. Mason
I am surprised that such a relatively young man as my hon. Friend should seem so old-fashioned. It is about time that hon. Members realised that trading is extremely serious. I do not think that buyers come to "swan" around where entertainments exist. They really want to do serious business and if there is an excellent exhibition centre on a site which is relatively cheaper, which means that they can consequently trade more cheaply and exhibit more cheaply, then they will go.

§ Mr. Sheldon
Is my right hon. Friend aware that what really matters is where the customers are? Does he appreciate that it is no use siting the shop where the shopkeeper wants it, but that it has to be sited where the customer happens to be? If he says that he has been waiting for positive proposals, why did the Board of Trade not make a positive proposal? Can he say how much Government money will be squandered in this way?

§ Mr. Mason
I am surprised that my hon. Friend is using such exaggerated language about money being squandered. The cost will probably be about £11 million, but at least the Birmingham City Council and the Chamber of Commerce are prepared to put at least £3 million into the project. No other local authority has made an offer of that kind.

§ Sir K. Joseph
The Minister has made a serious statement this afternoon. Is he aware that we fully understand and admire the vigorous desire of Birmingham to have first-class exhibition facilities. Will he say, first, is there any threat of the site being in the green belt; secondly, will he tell us, is it or is it not a commercial fact that the trade associations and the main exhibiting industries are nearly unanimously opposed to Birmingham as the site for the national exhibition centre; and, thirdly, does he accept that this opposition is unlikely to evaporate because 1537 many exhibitions depend upon public as well as trade attendance, and the public is so much more numerous in the London region? Will he also seriously consider inviting the G.L.C. to initiate simultaneously a feasibility study of all the viable or possibly viable alternatives in or near London?

§ Mr. Speaker
Order. Questions must be reasonably brief.

§ Mr. Mason
On the right hon. Gentleman's last point, no I do not see any point at all in trawling all over the old ground, especially when I have seen proposals going back to 1959 and 1962 when hon. Gentlemen opposite who were in office took no action. There was talk about Crystal Palace, the Hammersmith proposals, the proposals for Gatwick and so on. It would necessitate a reversal of a major Government decision to change things.
There is also the fact that the G.L.C. is not interested. There has been opposition from people with trading interests. Once the positive decision has been made, and this is really a watershed in this sort of operation, that opposition will dissipate. People will go where the facilities are, especially when they are relatively cheaper.
Thirdly, it may be—and I am not absolutely certain—that the site may impinge upon green belt, but it is near an airport, it has one owner, it is relatively cheaper and the local authority is ready to go ahead.

§ Mr. Speaker
Order. Answers must be brief, too.

§ Mr. Julius Silverman
While expressing the satisfaction of Birmingham industry and the Birmingham civic authorities with this decision, would my right hon. Friend agree that this site is a useful site not merely for Birmingham, but is accessible from all parts of the country? Is he aware that it is in the industrial and geographical centre of Britain and is readily accessible by the airlines? Will he endeavour to do what he can to see that this decision is promoted as rapidly as possible?

§ Mr. Mason
I am obliged to my hon. Friend for those remarks. It is appalling that most people, in spite of the fact that we talk about being British, recognise 1538 nothing north of London and think that Luton is on the fringe of the Continent. I hope that the Birmingham local authority will soon get planning permission, which will be subject to my right hon. Friend's decision. I hope that the Chamber will carry out its marketing survey as quickly as possible.

§ Sir K. Joseph
This decision is so serious that the Government should give the House the opportunity to discuss all its implications as soon as possible.