§ Mr. Stuart Hollandasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what evidence he has from the planning applications coming before him of a repetition of the speculative boom in office development of the early 1970s, which resulted in the collapse of several major property companies.
§ Mr. FoxEvidence relating to individual planning applications called in for decision by my right hon. Friend is taken into account in deciding those applications. But any general judgment about the supply of office space and the demand for it needs to take account also of other factors.
§ Mr. Stuart Hollandasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what study he made before deciding to relax controls on office development in central London, of the experience of the early 1970s, when several property companies went bankrupt as a result of speculative office development.
§ Mr. FoxNo such formal study was needed to decide that there was no further need for special control of office development additional to the normal planning controls.