§ 2.44 p.m.
§ LORD GARNSWORTHYMy Lords, I beg leave to ask the first Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
§ [The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to spend the extra £17 million on providing sewers: in rural areas which the last Government announced in May, 1970, that they would spend.]
1118§ THE PARLIAMENTARY UNDERSECRETARY OF STATE, DEPARTMENT OF THE ENVIRONMENT (LORD SANDFORD)My Lords, no doubt the noble Lord refers to the decision, announced in the White Paper on The Protection of the Environment, to permit local authorities to carry out schemes which the last Government had deferred. The authorities concerned were, I understand, informed individually that they might proceed with particular deferred schemes. The spending of the money now depends upon the decisions of the local authorities themselves.
§ LORD GARNSWORTHYMy Lords, while thanking the noble Lord for that reply, may I ask him whether the Government will actively give encouragement to all the local authorities involved at least to begin in the years 1970 to 1972 the schemes covered by paragraph 2 of Command Paper 4373? Can the noble Lord give an assurance that, so far as Her Majesty's Government are concerned, there will be no curtailment of the programme, particularly having regard to his remark that there have already been deferments?
§ LORD SANDFORDMy Lords, as to the last part of the noble Lord's supplementary question, I can assure him that the cuts in public expenditure which have been announced do not affect these particular schemes. There is no indication at the moment that the local authorities need any particular encouragement from Central Government, and unless and until that situation arises we are disposed not to interfere with their own local decisions.
§ LORD GARNSWORTHYMy Lords, may I thank the noble Lord for indicating that the recently announced cuts do not affect the programme?