§ Sir Anthony Meyerasked the Secretary of State for Wales whether he has come to a decision on the future of the Land 623W Authority for Wales; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Nicholas EdwardsThe Conservative Party's manifesto for Wales said that although the community land scheme would be abolished a Conservative Government would consult the building industry and the local authorities about a future role for the Land Authority for Wales. We have now carried out the consultations and in the light of the opinions expressed I have decided that the Land Authority should be retained, with an altered role. The necessary provisions will be included as part of the proposed legislation to repeal the Community Land Act.
Under the new arrangements the Authority would not have the extensive role it had under the Community Land Act. In particular it would lose the expedited power of compulsory purchase, and the so-called planning trigger-mechanism would no longer operate. The Authority's main function would be to make development land available as quickly as possible in circumstances where the private sector found it difficult to complete transactions; it would also be able to acquire land suitable for development to hold against need. Regular contact would have to be maintained with builders, developers and local authorities to keep abreast of demand for and availability of development land. I do not expect the Authority to extend its land trading activities, but to stabilise them at about present levels. The Authority would be required to achieve financial self-sufficiency in the next financial year, although it would have a limited borrowing power.
I also intend to propose that the Authority should have power to give advice to local authorities and other public bodies in Wales, if they request it, as to how their surplus land might best be made available for private development.