Severnside Study Report (Hansard, 24 May 1971)

§ 13. Mr. Probert
asked the Secretary of State for Wales, in view of the possible effects of the Severnside Study proposals upon the existing communities in Monmouthshire and Glamorganshire, if he will initiate immediately a study group or working party to consider those effects and to consider counter proposals for the revitalising of the valley communities.

§ 14. Mr. Kinnock
asked the Secretary of State for Wales what consideration he has given to the Severnside Study Report; and if he will make a statement.

§ Mr. Gibson-Watt
The Government welcome this report as a contribution to the planning of Severnside but they are in no sense committed to its conclusions and recommendations. Before forming a view on these, my right hon. and learned Friend will be seeking the comments of the Welsh Council, the local planning authorities and others. I am confident that in formulating their views these bodies will have in mind the implications for existing communities in South Wales.

§ Mr. Probert
In view of the hon. Gentleman's assurance recently that the Severnside development would not be permitted until the problems of South Wales had been solved, will he state whether this is Government policy?

§ Mr. Gibson-Watt
I do not retreat from anything I said in Cardiff at the Press conference which I gave. In this connection we must remember that the Severnside report was commissioned by 17 the Labour Party when it was in government. I am glad to say that the Government are satisfied that the recommendations of this report will not be put into commission until the economic problems of South Wales have been satisfactorily dealt with.

§ Mr. Kinnock
Will the hon. Gentleman accept that hon. Members on this side of the House and people in Wales generally are comforted by his assurances, but that they nevertheless find that those assurances conflict somewhat with the policy followed by the Government in other spheres, since the Severnside study appears to be encouraging the idea of growth based on so-called natural growth points? Is he aware that we find it strange that the Government should be embracing the idea that there will be planned growth in Wales before natural growth takes place on Severnside?

§ Mr. Gibson-Watt
If the hon. Gentleman will study the report, he will find that he is not correct in what he has said.

§ Mr. Adley
If my hon. Friend welcomes this public relations exercise on behalf of the Government, would he accept my word that many people in the areas concerned, certainly in the Bristol/ Bath area, find the report little more than a collection of statistics, most of which were available anyway? Is my hon. Friend aware that the almost non-existent mention of transport in the region, certainly in the Bristol/Bath area, surprises many people? Is he also aware that any report that purports to be about developing the area but does not mention the new Avon Bridge, due to open next year, is virtually meaningless?

§ Mr. Gibson-Watt
My hon. Friend will realise that I am answering the Question from a Welsh point of view entirely. This is not a publicity exercise on behalf of the Government. If any country is faced with an increase in population of 11 million between now and the year 2000, it is right to carry out such plans.

§ Mr. Loughlin
Will the hon. Gentleman bear in mind that the Welsh area of Severside ought to have a greater degree of priority than the suggested North Gloucestershire development of Severn-side, and that it would be much better for the Government to continue development south-west of the Severn rather than pur- 18 sue a policy, as envisaged in the report, of developing the area of Staunton, Huntley and the North side of Gloucester.

§ Mr. Gibson-Watt
I should not like to enter into particular arguments between one part of the country and another. The hon. Gentleman knows Gloucester and his constituency better than I do. This inquiry, which was started by the Labour Party and which has now been published by the Government, ought to be looked to by planners wherever they may be, in Wales or in that part of England, who have a job to do.