§ 83 and 84. Mr. Godman Irvineasked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs (1) in view of the delays by the Central Land Board of up to two-and-a-half years in the settlement of claims under the Town and Country Planning Act, 1954, what steps he is taking to ensure that such delays do not occur in future;
(2) what action he proposes to take to remedy the harsh results arising from the provisions of Section 14 (1) of the Town and Country Planning Act, 1954, where claims which, through no fault of the claimant, have only recently been settled by the Central Land Board carry no interest after 30th June, 1955.
§ Mr. BevinsThe Central Land Board is doing all it can, within the limits set by the statutory procedure and the complications inherent in many cases, to dispose of all applications quickly. It has already settled nearly 80,000 applications involving payments of £63¼ million (including interest), and has less than 500 cases outstanding in which payment is 35W expected to be made by the Board. The effect of Section 14 (1) of the Town and Country Planning Act, 1954, is that any of these payments made since 30th June, 1955, carried seven years' interest from 1st July, 1948. My right hon. Friend does not consider that amending legislation would be justified.