HC Deb 30 July 1980 vol 989 cc1507-8
15. Mr. Pawsey

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment on what basis and by what criteria he selected the 21 areas where vacant and underused land would be registered; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Heseltine

The selection took into account the possibilities for land release in these areas, the opportunities this would give to developers, and the extent to which land records were already available. The districts chosen are also mainly urban in character since it is in urban areas that the benefits of registers are chiefly to be gained.

Mr. Pawsey

I welcome that reply. Does my right hon. Friend accept that registers do not necessarily ensure that local authorities sell off their land banks? Does he agree, therefore, that he should take steps to ensure that land banks are reduced, to the general benefit of local ratepayers?

Mr. Heseltine

I am glad to be able to commend to my hon. Friend the Local Government, Planning and Land (No. 2) Bill, which gives me powers, in the last resort, to direct the disposal of the land that we are discussing. We are talking not only of local authority land, but of land owned by public bodies. Large acreages of land are owned by the nationalised industries.

Mr. Heddle

I welcome my right hon. Friend's statement. Does he accept that 250,000 acres of vacant and derelict land are ripe for development? In the areas that he has not designated for registers to be set up, will he continue to encourage local authorities and other bodies to release land for sale by way of partnerships, for the building of "half and half" homes for people on local authority housing lists?

Mr. Heseltine

I should like to go further. Once we have established a basis of understanding about the original 21 registers, I intend to move further and designate additional areas for registers. That is the most effective way of achieving the results that my hon. Friend has in mind. There is nothing to stop local authorities from getting on with the work of preparing for registers—an important step in bringing about a quicker disposal of land.