HC Deb 21 December 1983 vol 51 cc422-3
11. Mr. John Mark Taylor

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what further proposals he intends to introduce to encourage new development to inner city areas rather than on farmland and open country on the periphery of conurbations.

Mr. Macfarlane

The Government are vigorously pursuing policies to encourage new development in inner city areas, and a number of new initiatives such as the urban development grant have been introduced. The revised draft of the housing land circular will give greater emphasis to the need to make full use of sites available for housing within urban areas and to the preservation of good agricultural land.

Mr. Taylor

Does my hon. Friend accept that there is a growing awareness of a relationship between green field incursion and central urban evacuation and decay? Are there not lessons to be learnt from that linkage if, as some suggest, there is a one-to-one relationship between them? Would not we be serving the best interests of the periphery and the central urban areas by taking note of that?

Mr. Macfarlane

My lion. Friend is right, and that has been one of the major parts of our policy during the past four years. We believe in the restoration of the inner cities. If my hon. Friend were to look around some of the larger inner cities, he would find that some exciting projects are taking place. We intend to continue with that dynamism.

Mr. Litherland

When the Minister considers future proposals for inner city areas, will he bear in mind the derelict sites that were once factories in the industrial desert in my constituency of Manchester, Central? Is he considering giving grants for the refurbishing or demolition of those factories?

Mr. Macfarlane

A great many things might apply to that suggestion, and I need to look carefully at the particular cases. Since 1979 we have more than tripled the resources available for reclamation to over £75 million. The proportion spent on inner city projects, such as that touched upon by the hon. Gentleman, has risen from 7 per cent. at the end of 1979 to an average of more than 20 per cent. during the past four years. We intend to continue with that.

Mr. Andrew MacKay

Does my hon. Friend agree that the best way to encourage the rejuvination of inner cities such as London is to withdraw Government directives that force county councils such as Berkshire to build 8,000 additional houses in central Berkshire that are not wanted by the local people?

Mr. Macfarlane

My hon. Friend advanced his cause in an Adjournment debate, to which I responded. If he wishes to see some exciting projects, I urge him to go to the east end of London and see what is happening at Beckton and the Isle of Dogs. I am sure that he will be encouraged by that.