§ Mr. David MarshallTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what measures the Government will take to implement the recommendations of the Scottish Office/Pieda Study, Towards a Strategy for Vacant Land, that(a) dereliction considered to have adverse environmental effects should be dealt with by 2010 and (b) no local authority should have more than 0.5 per cent. vacant land by 2010; and if he will make a statement. [89022]
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§ Dr. ReidThe two specific recommendations cited from Pieda's report to the Scottish Office have not been adopted as targets. The Government have, however, allocated £3 million a year to bring vacant and derelict land in Glasgow up to a standard suitable for housing. In addition remediation of contaminated land will be addressed by Part IIA of the Environmental Protection Act 1990, which it is planned will be brought into force by the end of 1999. A number of National Planning Policy Guidelines also make clear to planning authorities that priority should be given to the re-use of vacant and derelict land. The information in the Scottish Vacant and Derelict Land Survey has been improved to record the development potential of sites and to enable planning authorities to prioritise sites for re-use.
From 1 July 1999, this will be a matter for the Scottish Parliament.