§ 19. Mr. Benyonasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will seek to introduce a scheme of incentives and penalties to restrain local and public authorities from hoarding land.
§ Mr. GowPublic bodies are encouraged already to dispose of surplus land in order to augment their receipts, and local authorities which do so are able to supplement their capital expenditure allocations.
Part of the purpose of registers of unused or underused land of one acre or more is to expose the wastefulness of land hoarding. Public bodies may be directed to dispose of registered land. On 19 November the first directions were made in respect of four sites in Darlington, Sunderland, Oldham and Nottingham.
My right hon. Friend will make further directions whenever he considers that to be appropriate.