HC Deb 20 June 1984 vol 62 cc280-1
8. Mr. Norman Hogg

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland when he last met the chairmen of the new town development corporations; and what subjects were discussed.

Mr. Allan Stewart

My right hon. Friend and I last met the chairmen on 14 May 1984 when a number of subjects of mutual interest were discussed, including the new towns' development profiles and the promotion of inward investment.

Mr. Hogg

When the Minister and his right hon. Friend met the chairmen of the new town development corporations, did they discuss the working party report on the future of the new towns? If so, did they tell the chairmen when that report was likely to be published? Moreover, may I have an assurance that when the report is published it will deal not only with the hand-over to local government but with the need for the new towns to continue to promote industry, particularly in the light of the bad news that there are to be 97 redundancies at Burroughs Machines in Cumbernauld?

Mr. Stewart

I am aware of the disappointing announcement from Burroughs, but the hon. Gentleman will appreciate that that should be set against a background of the net increase of 1,000 jobs in Cumbernauld over the past 12 months, encouraging expansions and an opening at Berkeley glassworks. The hon. Gentleman will be aware of the good news as well.

The working party was set up by my right hon. Friend when he announced that, in principle, housing would be transferred to the district councils following the eventual winding-up of the new towns. That working party, which consists of representatives of the corporations, district councils and IDS, is considering in advance the transfer arrangements. I understand that the report will be available later this summer.

My right hon. Friend has confirmed that no new towns will begin to be wound up before the end of the 1980s. I am sure that the hon. Gentleman will agree that it is sensible to consider the transfer arrangements well in advance.

Mr. Lambie

When the Secretary of State last met the chairmen of the new town development corporations, did he discuss with them the possibility of opening their board meetings to the public and issuing the minutes of those meetings to the press and the public in order to bring an essence of democracy into the new towns' administraton?

Mr. Stewart

The admission of the press and the public to development corporation meetings is a matter for the development corporations. I am sure the hon. Gentleman will appreciate that many of the issues discussed at those meetings and recorded in the minutes are commercially confidential. My right hon. Friend has taken the view that it would not be right for him to direct corporations to open their meetings to the press and public. The corporations do everything that they can to tell people about their activities, but they are different bodies from local authorities.

Mr. Craigen

The Minister has confirmed that the working party report will be available later this summer. When he met the chairmen of the new town development corporations did he give them any information about the time scale for the legislation that will be required for the transfer of housing functions, as distinct from industrial matters?

Mr. Stewart

We discussed the general question of the development profiles, which are designed to determine the percentage of the designated population at which the new towns will begin to be wound up. We shall be making an announcement on that in due course. Comments by local authorities, for example, on the development profiles are still being studied carefully.