§ 38. Mr. Arthur Jonesasked the Minister of Housing and Local Government if he will now publish details of investigations carried out by the Land Commission into the availability of land for housebuilding.
§ Mr. K. RobinsonNo. These details are contained in internal working documents not intended for publication.
§ Mr. William Priceasked the Minister of Housing and Local Government to whom the first seven acres of land purchased by the Land Commission were disposed.
§ Mr. K. RobinsonIt is not the practice a divulge information about individual transactions.
§ Mr. William Priceasked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what has been the overall cost of the Land Commission to date; and how much land it has purchased.
§ Mr. K. RobinsonThe total cost of the Land Commission, including costs incurred by other Government Departments, for the period 6th April, 1967, to 31st March, 1969, is expected to be about £6.5 million, of which some £2 million is attributable to Lands activities. The total area of land so far acquired is 557 acres.
§ Mr. William Priceasked the Minister of Housing and Local Government whether he will introduce legislation to exempt transactions involving single plots of land worth less than £2,000 from the operations of the Land Commission.
§ Mr. K. RobinsonNo. But I am keeping the operation of the levy under review.
§ Mr. William Priceasked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what estimate he has made of the rise in land prices attributable to the betterment levy during the past 12 months.
§ Mr. K. RobinsonI do not accept that the betterment levy has been responsible for any general increase in land prices.
§ Mr. William Priceasked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what 238W proportion of the Land Commission's income so far he estimates has come from transactions involving single plots of land.
§ Mr. K. RobinsonThis information is not available and could only be provided at a disproportionate cost.
§ 51. Mr. van Straubenzeeasked the Minister of Housing and Local Government whether there will be available for public inspection a register of declarations of interest made by members of the Land Commission.
§ Mr. K. RobinsonNo.