§ Mr. Michael Lathamasked the Secretary of State for the Environment by what means he proposes to ensure, pursuant to paragraph 12(a) of GNLA/12, that local authorities will not seek to purchase housing land under the Community Land Act which cannot be resold at at least break-even price within two years; what specific evidence he will require in such cases; and what sanctions are open to him if the two-year provisions are not in fact implemented.
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§ Mr. Guy BarnettThe probabilities involved will be examined on specific cases. The last part of the Question is hypothetical.
§ Mr. Michael Lathamasked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he intends to compensate local authorities for their abortive staffing and administrative expenditure in substituting rolling programmes to him for land acquisition under the Community Land Act 1975, following the issue of his departmental guidance note GNLA/12, which states that aprovals will not now be issued; and whether he will outline the reasons for his decision on this matetr.
§ Mr. Guy BarnettNo. Proposals underlying such programmes will now be considered singly for the reasons given in the guidance note.
§ Mr. Michael Lathamasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what specific level of resources will be available to local authorities in 1977–78 for acquisition of a planning or social nature, as outlined in paragraph 14 of GNLA/12.
§ Mr. Guy BarnettNo specific figure will be laid down.
§ Mr. Michael Lathamasked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will give an assurance that the information regarding the disposal of land bought under the Community Land Act which he requires local authorities to provide in paragraph 16 of GNLA/12 will be made available to hon. Members in such a way as enables them to have information about specific sites and the price paid for them.
§ Mr. Guy BarnettNo.
§ Mr. Michael Lathamasked the Secretary of State for the Environment by what date in 1977–78, pursuant to paragraph 5 of his guidance note GNLA/12, he will require local authorities to reduce their staffing and administrative costs in respect of the Community Land Act to 1976–77 levels; and what monitoring procedures he has established to ensure that this is done.
§ Mr. Guy BarnettAuthorities have been asked in the following two Para-132W graphs of the guidance note to estimate their staff an dadminisrtation costs by 1st March, and my Department will be looking at them then.
§ Mr. Michael Lathamasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what precise for mof evidence he will require to satisfy the provisions of paragraph 12(c) of GNLA/12 regarding the acquisition by local authorities of commercial land.
§ Mr. Guy BarnettThe criteria involved are indicated in the paragraph referred to.
§ Mr. Michael Lathamasked the Secretary of State for the Environment why, in view of the need to curtail public expenditure, paragraph 8 of GNLA/12 encourages local authorities to implement existing loan sanctions for community land acquisition in the current financial year, failing which they will lapse; and why he did not urge local authorities to reconsider whether it is necessary to implement existing sanctions at all.
§ Mr. Guy BarnettWith regard to the first part of the Question, it does not do so. The second part does not, therefore, arise.