HL Deb 18 February 1971 vol 315 cc705-7
LORD GARNSWORTHY

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 when they anticipate the Working Party jointly appointed by the Ministry of Transport and the Ministry of Housing and Local Government "to consider what further encouragement can be given to use waste as 'fill' for road building" will report.]

LORD MOWBRAY AND STOURTON

My Lords, the Working Party have completed their consultations. They are now considering the form of the report and their recommendations. They hope to complete the task in April, or earlier if possible.

LORD GARNSWORTHY

My Lords, May I ask the noble Lord whether the report will be made public, so that all those interested in this matter may be fully informed as early as possible as to its contents?

LORD MOWBRAY AND STOURTON

My Lords, I can give no undertaking that we will publish it in full, but we expect to make public the recommendations of the Working Party.

THE EARL OF LAUDERDALE

My Lords, does not my noble friend agree that this is a matter of wide interest to all local authorities engaged in land reclamation and plans for derelict land, and that therefore the report ought to be published in full, without any holding back at all?

LORD MOWBRAY AND STOURTON

My Lords, I will pass on to my right honourable friend the noble Lord's comments, but the recommendations are the important part.

LORD POPPLEWELL

My Lords, if the question should arise of levying a rate on each ton of this waste material that is moved, will the Working Party consider the advisability of a total waiver of such a rate since it is a deterrent to the use of the material?

LORD MOWBRAY AND STOURTON

My Lords, I think that what I said was that the Working Party have completed their consultations and are now drawing up their report. I think the noble Lord should await the announcement of their recommendations.

LORD GARNSWORTHY

My Lords, while thanking the noble Lord for what he has said about the publication of the Report, may I ask him to do his best to ensure the earliest possible publication? I would ask him also to recall that when I raised this matter in May of last year the then Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Housing and Local Government agreed that an early report would be an outstanding contribution to the European Conservation Year. That year has gone by. I would ask him to do his utmost to ensure every possible speed.

LORD MOWBRAY AND STOURTON

Yes, my Lords, the Working Party are conscious of the need to get their report completed as soon as possible.

LORD DAVIES OF LEEK

My Lords, may I ask the noble Lord to do his utmost to encourage the full publication of this report; because there is a growing tendency in all Governments on occasions to regard the public, or representatives of the public, as children who should not see all that is published. We need more publication of more facts. There should be no question of reserving some parts of a report. Would he see that as much as possible, even every word on this occasion is published so that intelligent men and women who run this country—and those who do not run it—may know what is being done?

LORD MOWBRAY AND STOURTON

My Lords, I cannot give an assurance of that; but I will pass on the noble Lord's words.

LORD LEATHERLAND

My Lords, may I ask the noble Lord when he comes to publish this report to see that it is "leaked two or three days in advance just as most of the other reports published by this Government have been "leaked"?

LORD MOWBRAY AND STOURTON

My Lords, I must repeat that we are not giving an assurance of publication but merely expecting to announce the recommendations.

LORD KENNET

My Lords, in paying attention to the manifest desire from all sides of this House that this report be published, as I am sure the Government will do, will the Government also specifically bear in mind that if a report is asked to recommend what can be done to encourage something, and if it says that a, b or c can be done and other people think that e, f or g ought also to be done, it is pointless to conceal the Working Party's reasons for rejecting d, e and f?

LORD MOWBRAY AND STOURTON

Yes, my Lords. As regards the noble Lord's first statement, if he looks back to May, 1970, he will find that my Answer is almost the same as the one he then gave to my noble friend Lord Inglewood.

The Working Party's terms of reference include … to review the scope for increased use of mineral waste for road-fill, taking into account, inter alia, amenity, Government policy on derelict land reclamation and to make recommendations. This will be done.