§ Mr. Spearingasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received from British Rail and the Greater London Council concerning grants towards maintenance of listed historic buildings now the property of British Rail; and if he will make a statement concerning the making of such grants to publicly-owned industries.
§ Mr. AmeryNo such representations have been received.
The amount of money available for grants made on the advice of the Historic 261W Building Council is limited and the policy has always been that it should be used only where the repair of outstanding buildings could not otherwise be ensured. Grants are not therefore normally made to a large organisation such as a nationalised industry, which can reasonably be expected to maintain out of its own resources such part of its property as is of outstanding historic or architectural interest.