§ Mr. Latham:asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will make a statement on the results of his Department in achieving the Government's policy programme since he answered a similar question from the hon. Member for Melton on 9 June 1980.
§ Mr. HeseltineSince June 1980 two major Bills have been enacted and their provisions put into effect.
The Housing Act 1980 has now given to local authority, new town and many housing association tenants the right to buy their homes, and as a result of action taken under that Act local authorities have now been given wider powers to sell houses and flats at their own discretion. Between July 1980 and March 1981 local authorities and
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Average Non-Domestic Poundage Metropolitan Counties 1977–78 1978–79 1979–80 1980–81 1981–82 Greater Manchester 90.2 96.6 108.5 132.0 164.6 Merseyside 85.5 89.5 103.7 135.7 155.9 South Yorkshire 91.7 99.1 114.8 153.7 198.4 Tyne and Wear 94.1 105.1 120.9 153.7 190.3 West Midlands 77.6 81.9 91.4 114.8 144.8 West Yorkshire 74.0 79.8 96.6 117.6 138.1 new towns in England and Wales voluntarily sold some 48,000 houses under the general consents and between 3 October 1980 and the end of March 1981 over a quarter of a million tenants in Britain applied to excercise their right to buy their homes. Further rights have been given under a tenants' charter to those remaining in the public sector. Measures have been introduced to encourage lettings in the private rented sector, including shorthold tenancies.
Under the Local Government Planning and Land Act my Department has introduced more efficient and fairer arrangements for the distribution of the rate support grant to local authorities as a block grant and a new system of controlling local authority capital expenditure. The Act has also provided the means of promoting land release and development, including the repeal of the Community Land Act and the streamlining of planning procedures. The Government's main inner cities initiatives have moved forward with the designation under the Act of the first of several English enterprise zones at Corby to be followed shortly by others; and the setting up of the Merseyside urban development corporation, shortly to be followed by the London docklands UDC.
In the present Session, a Water Act has been passed. In addition two further Bills have been introduced and are well advanced: the Town and Country Planning (Minerals) Bill which will comprehensively improve the procedures for the control of mineral workings and subsequent land restoration. and the Wildlife and Countryside Bill which contains important provisions for the protection of rare species and for the conservation of natural landscapes.
I have reviewed the areas of public expenditure for which my Department is responsible and have taken steps to bring them under tighter control. I am taking firm action to reduce the planned level of current expenditure by local authorities.
I have continued to review the work and resources of my Department. Since May 1979 the staff in post have fallen by 17.5 per cent. and by 10 per cent. since June 1980 in line with the targets set for the reduction of the Civil Service as a whole.