New Town Development Corporations (Hansard, 24 May 1988)

§ Mr. McLeish
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will detail the regulations or advice given to new town development corporations on the timing and disclosure of information to board members or meetings of development corporations or sub-committee.

§ Mr. Lang
These matters are determined by the boards of the development corporations on the advice of the appropriate chief executive—managing director.

§ Mr. McLeish
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give details of regulations or advice given to new town development corporations on the disclosure of information to press and public.

§ Mr. Lang
It is for each development corporation to determine whether or not to open board meetings to the press and public. Glenrothes development corporation held its first open board meeting in November 1986, and Livingston development corporation in summer 1987.

§ Mr. McLeish
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give details of the regulations or advice given to new town development corporations on the disclosure of information to his Department.

§ Mr. Lang
New town development corporations disclose information to my Department on request.

§ Mr. McLeish
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the present members of new town development corporation boards, the nominating organisation and the date of appointment and the date of termination of appointment of each member.

§ Mr. Lang
This information is available in the annual report of each of the Scottish new town development corporations, copies of which are available in the Library.

§ Mr. McLeish
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give details of the official guidance available to new town development corporations involved in disposing of public sector housing or development land.

§ Mr. Lang
The terms on which new town development corporations may dispose of land are detailed in section124W 18(5) of the New Towns (Scotland) Act 1968. That section provides that, except with the consent of the Secretary of State, development corporations shall not dispose of land otherwise than on the best terms that can reasonably be obtained. The same statutory prescription of the terms governing disposal also applies to public sector housing, since "land" in Scots law includes buildings situated upon that land.

§ Mr. McLeish
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give the total amount of housing land available and owned by development corporations in each of Scotland's new towns.

§ Mr. Lang
As part of the review announced by the Secretary of State for Scotland on 13 May 1988,Official Report, column 280, an exercise is presently under way to establish precisely the information sought. Once that exercise is concluded, I shall write to the hon. Member with the information he requests.