§ 16. Dr. Stuttafordasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what action he intends to take to encourage and foster the growth of local amenity and preservation societies.
§ The Minister for Local Government and Development (Mr. Graham Page)Her Majesty's Government very much welcome the growth of effective and responsible amenity and preservation societies all over the country. Their greatest value and virtue is their independence of Government. For that reason I am reluctant to interfere in their development.
§ Dr. StuttafordI thank my hon. Friend for his encouraging reply. May I ask whether he is aware that the taking over of small provincincial firms by large national organisations has made it difficult to raise the larger subscriptions necessary to carry on this type of work?
§ Mr. PageThe number of these amenity societies has grown, and they do not need interference from the Government. The figures are that when the Civic Trust was founded in 1957 there were 213 registered societies, and there are now 763 of them.