§ Mr. Dormandasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the number of acres of derelict land reclaimed in England and Wales in each of the six years 1965 to 1970, and if he will estimate, at present rates of clearance, the number of years before the dereliction presently thought to justify reclamation is eliminated.
§ Mr. Graham PageThe acreage reclaimed for the years 1965 to 1969 shown by the annual survey of derelict land is 203W given below. The figures for 1970 are not yet available.
England 1965 … … … … 2,061 1966 … … … … 1,641 1967 … … … … 1,639 1968 … … … … 2,113 1969 … … … … 2,504 At 31st December, 1969, there were some 61,000 acres of derelict land in England which the local planning authorities considered to justify restoration. Of this some 44,000 acres are in the priority areas. We are encouraging local authorities in these areas to accelerate their present rates of clearance, which are themselves an improvement on past rates. Already there are encouraging signs that many of them will be able to come close to clearing the existing dereliction justifying treatment within a period of 10 years which we have given as a target.
Reclamation in Wales is a matter for my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Wales.