§ Mr. Skeetasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the attitude of Her Majesty's Government to the retention of surplus lands in East London by the Port of London Authority, the British Gas Corporation, the Central Electricity Generating Board and British Rail and the refusal of these corporations to release the property for redevelopment.
§ Mr. MacfarlaneI attach great importance to the economic management of land held by any public body. Vacant or under-utilised sites of more than an acre must be entered on the statutory land register. This demonstrates their availability for development as the first step towards securing their positive re-use or disposal. The speed of this process will vary, particularly in east London, according to the type and development potential of the sites involved. The best results will be achieved through co-operation, and my Department maintains close contact with all public land owners to ensure that vacant public land is made available for new development opportunities as a matter of priority.