§ Mr. Tony Banksasked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) whether the strategic guidance, in the event of the abolition of the Greater London council, will set out for each borough the total number of new dwellings to be provided and the split between private and public provision;
(2) whether the strategic guidance, in the event of the abolition of the Greater London council, will indicate the number and locations of retail superstores in each of the London boroughs;
(3) whether the strategic guidance, in the event of the abolition of the Greater London council, will indicate the additional shopping floorspace to be planned for in each borough;
(4) whether the strategic guidance will, in the event of the abolition of the Greater London council, set out for each borough the employment total to be planned for;
(5) whether the strategic guidance will, in the event of the abolition of the Greater London council, set out for each borough the location and types of industry and warehousing appropriate for that borough in the light of London's industrial structure and labour market;
(6) whether the strategic guidance, in the event of the abolition of the Greater London council, will set out the guidelines on the extent to which the boroughs, in preparing their unitary development plan, must take account of planning requirements for ethnic minorities, women and people with disabilities.
§ Mr. MacfarlaneI refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 31 January 1985, at columns280–81, by my right hon. Friend the Minister for Local Government to the hon. Member for Islington, North (Mr. Corbyn). The precise content of any strategic guidance which may be issued by the Secretary of State following the abolition of the Greater London council will be determined taking into account the views of the London boroughs an others. It is doubtful, however, whether any strategic guidance on land use planning would need to deal with all the matters or refer to them in all the detail implied by the hon. Member.
§ Mr. Tony Banksasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if the strategic guidance will, in the event of the abolition of the Greater London council, be based upon up-to-date information and research on relevant population, employment, commuting, social and other trends.
§ Mr. MacfarlaneThe strategic guidance will take into account, inter alia, the best information available on these matters when the guidance is drawn up.
§ Mr. Tony Banksasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if his Department will make available to London boroughs the information, research and data which it will be collecting to prepare strategic guidance.
§ Mr. MacfarlaneMy right hon. Friend expects to be able to provide to London boroughs any relevant information which he collects.
§ Mr. Tony Banksasked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether his Department has had any 265W meetings with the Association of London Borough Planning Officers subsequent to his Department's letter of 23 January; and what changes he has made to proposals for London planning in the event of abolition.
§ Mr. MacfarlaneNo meeting has been held with the Association of London Borough Planning Officers following the letter to it of 23 January offering a meeting. Apart from minor amendments, no changes have been made to the proposals for London planning in the event of abolition, but an undertaking has been given to bring forward an amendment on Third Reading of the Bill in another place.
§ Mr. Tony Banksasked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many professional staff in his Department's London regional office are at present concerned with policy aspects of strategic planning in London; and how many he envisages being employed on such matters after 1 April 1986 if the abolition of the Greater London council proceeds.
§ Mr. MacfarlaneThe directorate responsible for land use planning in Greater London has 10 professionally employed staff, any of whom may be called upon to deal with aspects of strategic planning.
§ Mr. Tony Banksasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what matters were discussed and what decisions were taken at the recent meeting between the Minister for Local Government, the right hon. Member for Mole Valley (Mr. Baker), and the London Boroughs Association on planning arrangements in the event of the Greater London council being abolished.
§ Mr. Kenneth BakerMy noble Friend Lord Elton and I met representatives of the London Boroughs Association on 3 June in order to hear their views on the matters to which my noble Friend referred in his speech during the Committee stage of the Local Government Bill in another place on 30 April at column 223.
§ Mr. Tony Banksasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what matters were discussed and what decisions made at the meeting on 22 April between the Minister for local Government the right hon. Member for Mole Valley (Mr. Baker) and representatives of the London and South-East regional planning conference on strategic planning in the region in the event of the Greater London council being abolished.
§ Mr. Kenneth BakerI did not meet representatives of the London and South-East regional planning conference266W (SERPLAN) on 22 April, but on that day there was a discussion between my noble Friend Lord Elton and representatives of SERPLAN, the Association of County Councils, and the Association of District Councils in order to obtain their views on planning arrangements for London.
§ Mr. Tony Banksasked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) if he will make a statement on the committee report on spare rib submitted to him by the Greater London council in support of its application under section 7 of the Local Government (Interim Provisions) Act;
(2) if he will make a statement on the committee report on searchlight submitted to him by the Greater London council in support of its application under section 7 of the Local Government (Interim Provisions) Act;
(3) if he will make a statement on the committee report on the women's peace bus submitted to him by the Greater London council in support of its application under section 7 of the Local Government (Interim Provisions) Act.
§ Mr. Kenneth BakerThe GLC's applications and supporting documents are still being considered. I hope that a substantive response will be issued shortly.