§ Mr. O'Halloranasked the Secretary of State for the Environment how much disused railway land has been made available for housing in the Greater London area during the last five years ; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Kaufman :The information is not available in my Department, since surplus railway land potentially suitable for housing development is offered direct to local authorities by the British Rail Property Board. Information supplied by British Rail is that during the period 1970 to 1974, inclusive, 51 sites, totalling 280 acres, were sold to local authorities and that at 1st January 1975 the release of a further 88 sites, totalling 370 acres, was under consideration.
My right hon. Friend attaches great importance to the identification and release of surplus land in British Rail and other public ownership to help to meet urgent housing needs in Greater London and my Department will continue to press for identification of additional land for release and for the speeding up of release of land already identified.