HL Deb 01 December 1942 vol 125 cc327-9
LORD ADDISON

My Lords, I wish to ask the Minister of Works and Planning whether he has any statement to make in regard to the machinery to be set up for the Central Planning Authority.

THE MINISTER OF WORKS AND PLANNING (LORD PORTAL)

My Lords, the Government have been giving consideration to the recommendations in the recent Reports of the Committees presided over by Lord Justice Scott and Mr. Justice Uthwatt in regard to the constitution of the Central Planning Authority. Both Reports rightly attach great importance to the correlation of Government policy in regard to town and country planning with the policies that are being pursued in agriculture, transport, industry and labour, public utilities, etc., policies compendiously described by the Scott Committee as "national organization" and by the Uthwatt Committee as "national development", and both recommend the appointment of a Cabinet Committee for the purpose under a specially nominated senior Minister as Chairman.

The Government fully accept the need for such correlation. It would not be appropriate for me to say anything at this stage which might bind this or future Governments to final acceptance of the Committees' views that this correlation could best be carried out by a Committee of Ministers presided over by a senior Cabinet Minister. It is also relevant that, as the House is aware, the consideration of future policy in reconstruction matters is already proceeding under the supervision of a Committee of Ministers presided over by the Paymaster-General, though all decisions of major importance arrived at by that Committee are submitted to the War Cabinet for their approval. In the initial stages it will naturally fail to that Committee to deal with preparatory work which will be carried out during the war for bringing a national policy in regard to the control of the use of land (including town and country planning) into close accord with the general economic and social programme.

With regard to the machinery for the control of the use of land and the administration of town and country planning, the Government have come to the conclusion, after giving full weight to the views expressed by the Scott and Uthwatt Committees, that in a matter so vitally concerning the lives and interests of everyone in the country the fullest measure of direct responsibility to Parliament must be maintained, and that executive responsibility must rest in England and Wales with a Minister of Town and Country Planning and in Scotland with the Secretary of State for Scotland. In view of the increased responsibilities which will attach to the post of Minister of Town and Country Planning in future, and of the importance of the Minister being able to devote the necessary time and attention to his task, the Government have decided to ask Parliament to constitute a separate Ministry of Town and Country Planning in England and Wales under a separate Minister. This Minister will be a member of the Ministerial Committee already referred to. His main function in association with the Departments concerned will be to ensure that the translation of the agreed national policy into terms of land use and physical development is conceived as a single and consistent whole.

While they have not felt able to accept the recommendations of the Scott and Uthwatt Committees for placing the main responsibility for the control of town and country planning in the hands of a permanent Commission the Government fully recognize the value of a permanent body of this kind as part of the machinery of the new Ministry. In their view there will be important functions for which a permanent Commission, acting under the Minister of Town and Country Planning, would be the most appropriate body, in connexion, for instance, with the acquisition of development rights, if some such scheme were to be adopted. There are no doubt a number of other matters such as the management of property which could be usefully delegated to a Commission. In the legislation to be submitted to Parliament, therefore, the Government contemplate making provision for the appointment of such a Commission to assist the Minister of Town and Country Planning.

LORD ADDISON

My Lords, I would like to ask one small supplementary question on the very important statement which has just been made by my noble friend. That is whether we can look for the introduction of the Bill giving effect to this announcement in the near future.

LORD PORTAL

My Lords, I think I can answer "Yes" to that question.

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