§ Mr. Gorstasked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether the blighting suffered by residents at Fiveways Corner, Hendon, is the earliest case for which compensation under the Land Compensation Act 1973 has been sought, or whether examples in other locations have been in existence for a longer period.
§ Mr. OakesNo. The 1973 Act provides for compensation in respect of public works brought into use after 16th October 1969. This scheme was opened in July 1970. Claims relating to earlier schemes have been received.
289W
§ Mr. Gorstasked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether the Government have placed any limit on the amounts that may be paid to any individual in settlement of a claim for compensation under the Land Compensation Act 1973; and, if so, what that limit is.
§ Mr. Gorstasked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he has imposed a limit on the total sums paid out in compensation under the Land Compensation Act 1973; what limits have been or are being imposed on such compensation; whether they form part of any general cut in Government expenditure; and whether the Government are considering any future cuts or limitations in compensation.
§ Mr. Gorstasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what adjustments, or other steps, are being taken to settle claims for compensation under the Land Compensation Act 1973 in such a way as to ensure that there is no loss of compensation due to inflation and delay in reaching settlement of a claim.
§ Mr. OakesCompensation under Part I of the Act carries interest from the date of service of a claim, or from the beginning of the normal claim period in the case of a premature claim on disposal of the property concerned.
§ Mr. Gorstasked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many claims under the Land Compensation Act 1973 have been made in respect of Fiveways Corner, Hendon; how many have been settled; and what is the total cost of (a) those claims that have been settled and (b) those which are still outstanding.
§ Mr. OakesSeventy-seven claims were received of which six were invalid. Twelve claims have been settled at a cost of £ 7,087. The cost of the remaining 59 cannot be estimated until the negotiations now in hand are completed.
§ Mr. Gorstasked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether the Government have imposed any time limit by which outstanding claims under the Land Compensation Act 1973 will be settled; 290W and what is the average length of time being taken to settle claims, from the time the claim is submitted to the time it is paid.
§ Mr. OakesNo time limit has been imposed. Information on an average period for settlement of Part I claims received by the Secretary of State is not readily available, and would tend to be misleading, in view of the large backlog of claims related to the retrospective provisions of the Act covering roads opened as far back as October 1969.
§ Mr. Gorstasked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many claimants for compensation under the Land Compensation Act 1973 have been required to await compensation for a period of more than six years from the start of the public works which have given rise to the claims.
§ Mr. OakesTechnically none, since the right to compensation did not exist until the commencement of the 1973 Act. Moreover, a claim to Part I compensation does not arise until one year after the coming into use of the public works concerned and to give an answer on retrospective claims in relation to the start of works would require a disproportionate effort.
§ Mr. Gorstasked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many claims for compensation under the Land Compensation Act 1973 have been received; and how many of those claims have been settled and at what total cost.
§ Mr. OakesMy right hon. Friend, in his capacity as highway authority for trunk roads in England, has received 6,083 claims under Part I of the 1973 Act, of which 943 have been settled, at a total cost of about £427,000.
§ Mr. Gorstasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps have been taken by his Department to bring to the attention of people who live in areas blighted by public works the rights they have to compensation under the Land Compensation Act 1973; and whether he is satisfied that these steps are adequate where the elderly are concerned, or where individuals unable to comprehend the intricacies of legal terminology are involved.
291W
§ Mr. OakesVarious steps have been taken to ensure wide publicity, including the publication of a free leaflet and five booklets on the compensation code written in everyday language. There has been national and local Press publicity, and attention is drawn to the provisions of the 1973 Act in relation to my Department's road schemes at the public participation and public inquiry stages, in addition to local advertisements when a road scheme has been completed.
§ Mr. Gorstasked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many settlements of claims under the Land Compensation Act 1973 have been made at 1971 valuations; and what he estimates to be the difference between the amounts paid and the real value of the compensation taking inflation into account.
§ Mr. OakesTo obtain the details requested would require a disproportionate effort. The Act provides for compensation to reflect values not at the date of payment but as at one year after the coming into use of the public works giving rise to the claim. Interest is generally payable from the date of claim to the date of payment.