§ 14. Mr. Andersonasked the Secretary of State for Wales whether there has been a change in his policy on the reclamation of derelict land in Wales.
§ Mr. Nicholas EdwardsNo. As I told the Welsh Grand Committee last November, I have asked the agency to give priority to factory building, provision of infrastructure, and derelict land clearance, rather than investment.
§ Mr. AndersonCan the Secretary of State confirm that, in a letter of 24 January, all the counties in Wales were informed that it was unlikely that any new projects for land reclamation would be authorised in this calendar year? How much, if any, of the £48 million allocation will now be available for land reclamation?
§ Mr. EdwardsI cannot give an answer to the last question. I expect that expenditure on land reclamation will be more in total than it was in the previous year. The Welsh Development Agency is considering plans for developing industrial sites to meet the need in South Wales. Clearly, land reclamation is needed to carry schemes into effect. The Briton Ferry site is an example of an area where reclamation is required before factories can be built.