§ 2.34 p.m.
§ EARL FORTESCUEMy Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
§ [The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will make a statement on the progress of the plan approved for resiting and rebuilding the Covent Garden Market and whether there is any truth in the report that an Anglo-American commercial firm has been called in to advise Her Majesty's Government.]
THE JOINT PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY, MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD (EARL WALDEGRAVE)My Lords, the rebuilding of the Covent Garden Market is the responsibility of the Covent Garden Market Authority. The Covent Garden Market Act allows the Authority to rebuild the market in the Covent Garden area. If they want to go outside that area, they must seek the approval of Parliament. The Authority have decided to carry out a detailed study of the issues involved in selecting the best site for the new market. For this purpose they have engaged the Fantus Company International Division, an international firm of professional consultants, whose headquarters are in Brussels and who are associated with the Fantus Company of New York and Chicago. The Authority announced full details on April 3 and I have asked them to send a copy of their announcement to the noble Lord.
§ EARL FORTESCUEMy Lords, I thank the noble Earl for his reply. Could he give the House any information as to when the new market should be ready for occupation?
EARL WALDEGRAVEMy Lords, under the Covent Garden Market Act, the new market must be built by 1968. I understand that the Authority hope that these consultants on location analysis will report to them by the end of this year.
§ LORD STONHAMMy Lords, is it not the case that the Market Authority, having looked at King's Cross, Nine Elms and Seven Dials, have called in this firm of experts to advise them whether a site can be found where a comprehensive market can be built without the need for a separate annex, as was envisaged in the Act?
EARL WALDEGRAVEMy Lords, I do not know the full reasons why the Covent Garden Market Authority have called in this firm of experts. I understand that an announcement about the annex is expected shortly. I also understand, as the noble Lord says, that the Authority are considering the Seven Dials site, which is within the 120 acres of the Covent Garden area, and also sites at Nine Elms and King's Cross.
§ LORD STONHAMBut, my Lords, will the noble Earl say what are the terms of reference which have been submitted to this firm of experts and on which their report will be based? Does not the fact that the Authority called in this firm show that the Government were quite wrong in insisting, as they did, on the Covent Garden Market site?
EARL WALDEGRAVENo, my Lords. If I may take the last part of the noble Lord's Question first, I do not deduce anything of the sort from that. I do not know exactly the terms of reference which the Covent Garden Market Authority have given to this firm of consultants, who are quite properly advising them on location analysis.
§ LORD STONHAMMy Lords, since public money is involved, surely the Government have the right to know, or ought to inquire, what the terms of reference are in an important matter of this kind, on which we have an Act of Parliament. And if the noble Earl does not know what they are, will he undertake to communicate them to us in order that we may form a judgment on this matter?
EARL WALDEGRAVENo, my Lords. I think we must keep a sense of proportion. The Covent Garden Market Authority are statutorily responsible for the rebuilding of the market by 1968. The noble Lord knows as well as I do what is in the 1961 Act. They have employed a very specialised and, I have no doubt, a very able firm of location analysis experts to help them to find the best site. It is their business why they have chosen this firm to do this. They are the statutory Authority responsible ultimately to Parliament for the rebuilding of the market.
§ LORD WALSTONMy Lords, is it not a fact that under the present Act they have to build the market within a circumscribed area? My recollection is that many noble Lords wished that area to be extended, and I think we are justified in asking to be told now whether this firm, which the Market Authority is employing, has been instructed to look outside that area or is still restricted, as the Government insisted the Authority should be restricted, to the Covent Garden Area.
EARL WALDEGRAVEMy Lords, I am very glad that the noble Lord has raised the point in this way. I understand that this firm is looking outside the area. The first statement which the Authority issued said that they are looking at sites at Nine Elms, Seven Dials and King's Cross. Let me remind your Lordships of what my noble and learned friend who sits on the Woolsack said on July 13 last. After saying that the Authority had statutory authority to build within the Covent Garden Area without further Parliamentary procedure, my noble and learned friend said [OFFICIAL REPORT. Vol. 233. col. 281]:
… that if they wished to use a site outside the area it is not the intention of the Minister of Agriculture to withhold his consent to the promotion of a Private Bill in Parliament by the Authority, empowering it to build the Market elsewhere…
§ LORD BOSSOMMy Lords, may I ask if there has been any investigation to ascertain whether we have our own experts in this country, capable of building our own market for us?
EARL WALDEGRAVEMy Lords, it is not a question of experts building a market; it is a question of experts to 646 advise the Authority on location analysis. The Authority really must be allowed freedom to choose who they think are the best experts to advise them.
§ LORD BOSSOMMy Lords, again may I ask: have we not experts who can advise on location?
EARL WALDEGRAVEMy Lords, I have no doubt that we have experts who can advise on location; but, as I have said, that is a question for the Authority.
§ LORD STONHAMMy Lords, is the noble Earl aware that the experts are advertising for a chief executive to advise them, and that he will be appointed from this country? Would he agree that the fact that the Market Authority have called in this firm of experts is an indication that they themselves are not satisfied that the Covent Garden area is the right place on which to build the market?
EARL WALDEGRAVENo, my Lords. Noble Lords must make their own inferences, but I do not take any inference from what has been done other than that the Authority are quite properly getting experts to help them to choose a site for the Market.