HC Deb 21 December 1983 vol 51 cc411-2
1. Mr. Wareing

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will take steps to co-ordinate land use, planning, passenger transport and highway provision at county level.

The Secretary of State for the Environment (Mr. Patrick Jenkin)

Adequate arrangements for coordinating land use and transport planning already exist through the structure plan process.

Mr. Wareing

In view of the reports since 1972 which have suggested that co-ordination should take place at county level, will the right hon. Gentleman tell us how his plan to abolish the metropolitan county councils will assist that process? Is he not aware of the danger that, if the county councils are abolished, district councils may be tempted to run their own bus services and existing countywide concessionary fare arrangements may be disrupted?

Mr. Jenkin

The structure plan system will continue when the GLC and the metropolitan county councils are abolished. The functions will be exercised by the London boroughs and the metropolitan district councils. The work will be done within a framework of general guidance which I, as Secretary of State, will give. Questions about concessionary fares and bus services should be put to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport.

Mr. Chapman

Does my right hon. Friend agree that the co-ordination of strategic land use planning in the Greater London area is best and most relevantly administered on a regional basis? Will he confirm, for example, that the metropolitan green belt, which we all want to defend, is partly within Greater London and partly within the home counties around London?

Mr. Jenkin

Yes. Indeed, I had an excellent meeting on regional planning yesterday with the Standing Conference for London and South-East Regional Planning and we discussed precisely those issues. The standing conference has always had a valuable impact on coordinating the plans of neighbouring authorities in these matters. We also discussed briefly the green belt and, as my hon. Friend knows, I share his commitment to that concept.

Mr. Nellist

Will the Secretary of State confirm that the attempt to abolish the metropolitan county councils is a political gesture which is being made because they are Labour-controlled? Is he aware that his mixture of privatisation and quangos to replace the county councils will not save money for working people, particularly on matters such as consumer protection and trading standards? I am a member of the West Midlands county council and I know that in that county it will be impossible for seven or eight district councils to maintain the standard of service provided by the county.

Mr. Jenkin

I am sure that the hon. Gentleman will wish to reply in due course to the provisional report of the West Midlands district councils who say that they hope to be able to save 25 or 30 per cent. of the cost of the services that will be devolved to them from the county council.

Dr. Cunningham

That is nonsense.