§ Mr. Donald Andersonasked the First Secretary of State and Secretary of State for Economic Affairs whether he will now make a statement about the future of the Severnside study.
§ Mr. M. StewartMy predecessor announced on 7th July, 1966 that a study would be made of Severnside as a possible area for accommodating a large additional population. I have now decided that this study should be undertaken by the Central Unit for Environmental Planning, with the assistance of a Physical Planning Unit which is being set up in the area by my right hon. Friends, the Minister of Housing and the Secretary of State for Wales. These Units will draw on the resources of all the Gov-328W ernment Departments concerned and also of the local planning authorities in the area, and they will take full account of the views of the Economic Planning Councils.
The area to be studied will be, broadly, both banks of the river Severn from Gloucester to Newport and Bristol respectively.