HL Deb 11 December 1968 vol 298 cc507-8
THE EARL OF KINNOULL

My 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 how much of the land which is now in process of acquisition by the Land Commission is being acquired:—

  1. (1) by compulsory purchase under normal procedure (section 7);
  2. (2) by compulsory purchase under special procedure (section 8)
  3. (3) by agreement with the vendor.]

THE PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY, MINISTRY OF HOUSING AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT (LORD KENNET)

My Lords, all the land which the Commission are at present in process of acquiring by compulsory purchase is being acquired by the normal procedure under Section 7 of the Land Commission Act. This amounts to 1,575 acres. The special procedure under Section 8 of the Act has not been invoked. 703 acres of land are at present in process of acquisition by agreement.

THE EARL OF KINNOULL

My Lords, while thanking the Minister for his reply, may I ask whether any land has been resold by the Commission, and if so whether it has been resold at a lower price than that for which the Commission purchased it? Secondly, could the Minister say whether the land that the Commission are purchasing is development land or "white" land?

LORD KENNET

My Lords, 1.5 acres of land have been resold. It is hardly to be expected that land could be resold before it was acquired, and the figures I have just given are for land the acquisition of which is now being negotiated. I am not in a position to say, without notice, whether the price of the resale was above or below that for the acquisition. The land which has been acquired so far is for the most part, and possibly the whole part, development land.

LORD BROOKE OF CUMNOR

My Lords, if the Government are determined to keep in existence this very expensive organisation, would they encourage it to concentrate entirely on helping the local authorities with urban redevelopment, where there may be scope for the exercise of these powers, and discourage it from seeking to acquire "white" land in the countryside in the teeth of opposition from the local planning authorities?

LORD KENNET

My Lords, I do not know of any evidence that the Commission are seeking to acquire land in the teeth of opposition from the local planning authorities in the countryside. The question of when they can help in the redevelopment of urban land is being kept under close review by the Government.

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