§ Mr. Gryllsasked the Secretary of State for Industry, further to his reply to the hon. Member for Bridgwater (Mr. King) on 15th November, whether the new guidelines for local authorities have yet been published, as recommended by the sector 245W working party on the chemical industry, relating to physical planning.
Mr. Alan WilliamsAs part of the Government's industrial strategy the Secretaries of State for the Environment and Transport recently issued a Circular—DoE 71/77 and DTP 4/77—urging local authorities to give priority to industry across the whole range of their functions, and specifically in the fields of planning, housing and transport. The circular refers in particular to the need to give priority to the handling of all industrial planning applications, to adopt a flexible approach to development controls and to consult with industry in drawing up local plans.
§ Mr. Gryllsasked the Secretary of State for Industry, further to his reply to the hon. Member for Bridgwater (Mr. King) on 15th November 1976, whether any action has yet been taken to implement the recommendation from the sector working party on the chemicals industry that urgent consideration should be given to the completion of two crackers before 1985, to meet United Kingdom expected growth of consumption.
§ Mr. CryerI understand that two companies have current plans for new ethylene crackers in the United Kingdom, to come on stream in the early 1980s.