63. Mr. Idwal Jonesasked the President of the Board of Trade on what grounds he refused the offer from the Wrexham Rural District Council, the Wrexham Borough Council and the Denbighshire County Council to purchase the Wrexham Industrial Estate in its entirety.
§ Mr. MaudlingIt is normal Government policy, when disposing of land leased to industry, to offer first refusal to the sitting tenants; and in the case of agricultural land acquired under compulsory powers, to offer the land back to the former owners. The normal policy98W is being followed in dealing with what remains of the land at Wrexham transferred to the Board of Trade after the war.
64. Mr. Idwal Jonesasked the President of the Board of Trade whether the land on the Wrexham Industrial Estate which he has decided to offer back to the former owners will include the 35 acres recently cleared at a cost of approximately £40,000 specifically for industrial development, as well as the land on which stand the buildings let to the Rubber Directorate for storage; and if the land will be valued as agricultural land or as land to be used for industrial development.
§ Mr. MaudlingThe Government have decided to offer back to the former owners all the land not leased to industry; this includes both the land cleared but not used for industrial development, and the land used for storing rubber, as well as other vacant land. The land will be offered back at a price which takes full account of its value in its present condition on the open market.