§ Mr. Michael Lathamasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will elucidate and explain the apparent discrepancy between the answer to the hon. Member for Chester-le-Street (Mr. Radice) on 21st March that he expected local authorities to have disposed of a further 350 to 400 acres of development land under the Community Land Act 1975 during 1977–78, and the answer given to the hon. Member for Battersea, South (Mr. Perry) on 19th June that over 100 acres were disposed of; and if he will investigate the reasons for any discrepancy.
§ Mr. Guy BarnettThe forecast my right hon. Friend gave on 21st March—[Vol. 946, c. 488]—was the best that could be made on the information then avail-552W able. The figure given on 19th June—[Vol. 952, c. 75–76]—is provisional; firm figures will not be available until all local authorities have submitted their land accounts. There are many reasons why land transactions can be delayed, but I fully expect that disposals which had not taken place by the end of the financial year will have done so soon after.