HC Deb 18 June 1975 vol 893 cc1374-6
6. Mr. Fairbairn

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the anticipated administrative cost of operating the Community Land Bill, the British National Oil Corporation and the Scottish Development Agency; and how many extra civil servants will be required to staff these agencies.

Mr. William Ross

The estimated administrative cost and number of staff, who will not be civil servants, of the Scottish Development Agency are given in the explanatory and financial memorandum to the Bill now before Parliament. Similar estimates, on a Great Britain basis, relating to the community land scheme are given in the memorandum to the Community Land Bill.

Responsibility for the BNOC rests with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Energy.

Mr. Fairbairn

The Secretary of State and other Ministers have told us that in the present circumstances £15 million is too much to pay for a national sports centre at Hampden Park. In view of the fact that hospital and school building programmes are being cut, will the Secretary of State use his influence in the Cabinet to ensure that these absurd schemes—which no one in Scotland would prefer to those which are being reduced—are brought to an end immediately?

Mr. Ross

I do not consider that the Scottish Development Agency is an absurd scheme. I do not think that the plans in relation to the oil industry—which will be of considerable benefit to Scotland—and in relation to the BNOC, which will be based in Glasgow, are absurd. Whenever the Government of either party makes an effort to do something that brings to the people a return from land and from the resources of Scotland, the representatives of those who see it as their first job to protect the proprictorial rights of their own types of people are the first to scream.

Mr. Dalyell

As regards the Community Land Bill, will the Secretary of State confirm the undertaking given after midnight last week by the Under-Secretary of State for the Environment that the Church of Scotland will be exempted, unlike some other charities?

Mr. Ross

There is a slight difficulty here. The Bill is now in Committee. There are certain restrictions in relation to that. I can rest upon the fact that the Prime Minister met a delegation of the leaders of the Churches. He gave an assurance that the matter would be looked at.

Mr. Crawford

In the context of the Scottish Development Agency, will the Secretary of State give an assurance that the writ of the London-based National Enterprise Board will not run in Scotland?

Mr. Ross

I think that the sooner we get down to the Second Reading of the Bill the sooner we can sort these matters out. I give the assurance that the Scottish Development Agency will be Scottish-based. It will be responsible to the Secretary of State and to no one else.

Mr. Buchanan-Smith

Does the right hon. Gentleman think it wrong for Members of Parliament to stand up to the proprietorial rights of the Church of Scotland in relation to the Community Land Bill?

Mr. Ross

I assure the hon. Gentleman that the row being created is not related to the Church of Scotland.