HC Deb 27 June 1990 vol 175 cc274-5W
63. Mr. Hardy

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what action he will take to assist those local authorities which face the problem of increasing dereliction.

Mr. Moynihan

The Department maintains a vigorous programme of derelict land reclamation through the derelict land grant programme. We have provided £71.5 million for this purpose in 1990–91, and I anticipate that about 1,300 hectares of derelict land will be reclaimed. Delelict land is also reclaimed by the urban development corporations and through the operation of city grant, and the urban programme.

My Department's survey of derelict land in England in 1988 showed that the overall level of dereliction had in fact decreased by some 5,000 hectares since the last survey in 1982, although there are areas where the amount has increased. My Department will continue to target assistance at the worst areas of dereliction.

The measures for dealing with dereliction were reviewed last year, and we are currently considering responses to the consultation document, "A Review of Derelict Land Policy". We will be announcing policy changes later this year which will ensure that these measures continue to assist local authorities to tackle the reclamation of derelict land effectively.

Mr. Andrew Hargreaves

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how much derelict land in public ownership has been entered on the register of derelict land for each of the last five years for which records exist.

Mr. Moynihan

I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Member for Wirral, West (Mr. Hunt) as Minister for Local Government and Inner Cities on 21 March to my hon. Friend the Member for Stockton, South (Mr. Devlin), [Official Report, Volume 169, column 669].

75. Mr. Donald Thompson

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he is satisfied with the rate at which land in public ownership currently on the register of derelict land is being disposed of.

92. Mr. Lawrence

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he is satisfied with the speed of disposals of land from the register of derelict land.

Mr. Andrew Hargreaves

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps he is taking to improve the effectiveness of the register of derelict land.

Mr. Moynihan

As I stated to my hon. Friend the Member for Pembroke (Mr. Bennett) on 26 April, we are currently considering whether further measures might be appropriate to reduce the amount of public sector vacant land.

73. Mr. Andrew Hargreaves

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how much vacant land in public ownership is entered on the register of derelict land; and what was the acreage in each category of(a) the public sector, (b) statutory undertakers and (c) nationalised industries.

Mr. Moynihan

I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave on 21 March to my hon. Friend the Member for Lancashire, West (Mr. Hind),Official Report, Vol. 169, column 668–69.

70. Mr. Steen

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the amount of land currently on the register of derelict land; and what steps he is taking to reduce it.

Mr. Moynihan

I refer my hon. Friend to the replies I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Sherwood (Mr. Stewart) earlier today and to my hon. Friend the Member for Pembroke (Mr. Bennett) on 26 April.