§ Mr. G. M. Thomsonasked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs which local authorities in the new towns have received grants under Section II of the New Towns Act, 1946; what were the total amounts of such grants; and what were the purposes for which they were paid.
§ Mr. H. BrookeSection 11 of the New Towns Act, 1946, authorises contributions by development corporations towards expenditure incurred or to be incurred by local authorities or statutory undertakers in the performance in relation to the new town, of any of their statutory functions. But as a measure of the extent of which corporations furnish financial assistance to local authorities and statutory undertakers, a list of cash contributions under Section 11 is misleading. For example, where a local authority is responsible for sewerage, any financial assistance to it from the development corporation would take the form of contributions under Section 11; but where the corporation has assumed responsibility for sewerage, as in most cases they have, it incurs the expenditure under its general powers. Also, in constructing main roads, corporations incur under their general powers expenditure which might otherwise fall on the highway authority. Some corporations have also provided financial help by undertaking specific works, or by providing land at less than cost, in lieu of making a money contribution.
Both county council and district council in all the new town areas have benefited from contributions under Section 11, but no contributions in cash or specific works in lieu had been made up to 31st March, 1959, to the local authorities at Bracknell, Cwmbran or Peterlee.
Up to that date the total Section 11 contributions to local authorities and expenditure on specific works in lieu, ascertained from the published accounts, were:
18W
£ Aycliffe 9,852 Basildon 15,101 Corby 4,131 Crawley 8,186 Harlow 4,562 Hemel Hempstead 62,538 Stevenage 77,887 Welwyn Garden City 103,266 Hatfield 309,585 £595,108 The purposes in question were sewerage, street improvements, community centres, public conveniences, public open space and one or two miscellaneous purposes, including provision of a market site.