HC Deb 17 May 1972 vol 837 cc498-9
4. Mr. Hunt

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects the new Domesday Book for the South-East to be ready for publication.

The Secretary of State for the Environment (Mr. Peter Walker)

I will shortly be meeting representatives of county councils in the South-East to discuss what information can be provided about land availability, and when. I will be looking to local planning authorities to publish as soon as possible detailed information about land on which house building can start within the next five years. 1 then intend publishing a collation of all this information.

Mr. Hunt

I welcome that answer and I acknowledge that the vigorous action taken by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State is already having a discernible effect on house prices. Will he undertake, however, that if, when the Domesday Book is published, it reveals that large areas of housing land in the South-East are being hoarded for speculative reasons, he will consider the imposition of a levy on such unused land which would help to flush it on to the market?

Mr. Walker

I do not believe this would be a good way of flushing such land on to the market. Certainly, we have considered various proposals including the levy system but I have made it clear that if land is being hoarded against development we will consider compulsory purchase orders if local authorities consider them sensible and wise within the South-East planning strategy.