§ 3.8 p.m.
VISCOUNT HARCOURTMy 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 why the Oxfordshire County Council was not consulted before an industrial development certificate was issued to the British Motor Corporation for a site in the neighbourhood of Oxford; what was the nature of any consultations between the Board of Trade and the Ministry of Housing and Local Government and whether any expectations were held out to the Corporation.]
§ THE MINISTER WITHOUT PORTFOLIO (LORD MILLS)My Lords, the Board of Trade do not consult local authorities about applications for industrial development certificates. The purposes of the Board's control over the location of new industrial development are different from those of local planning, and the grant of an industrial development certificate does not in any way prejudice the freedom of a local authority 629 in dealing with the subsequent application for planning permission. It would be wrong, therefore, for the Board's decisions on industrial development certificate applications to be influenced by local planning considerations. There was consultation between the Board of Trade and the Ministry of Housing and Local Government on the broad industrial location aspects of the application. The Board did not hold out to the Corporation any expectations that planning permission would be granted.
VISCOUNT HARCOURTMy Lords, I thank my noble friend for his Answer and his assurances that there was no understanding with the Board of Trade. The noble Lord will be aware, I think, that on behalf of the Oxfordshire County Council it was stated at the local planning inquiry that they were of the firm opinion that the industrial development certificate had been issued following prior agreement between the Board of Trade and the Ministry of Housing and Local Government. If that is the case, were not the Oxfordshire County Council under a total misapprehension when they stated at the inquiry that they felt that by the issue of the industrial development certificate they were obliged to give planning permission for a site within a very short distance of Oxford?
§ LORD MILLSYes, my Lords. I think I can answer that very simply. There was no such agreement, and the Council were under a misapprehension if they stated that they were obliged to give planning permission.