Orders of the Day — New Towns Bill

Part of the debate – in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 28 November 1957.

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Photo of Mr Henry Brooke Mr Henry Brooke , Hampstead 12:00, 28 November 1957

The brewers have, no doubt, been meeting a public need. In all the new towns I have visited, nobody has expressed the least regret that they are ordinary "pubs" instead of Socialist "pubs."

The hon. and learned Gentleman said that we were quietly stifling the new towns. In fact, we are continuing to build in the new towns at the rate of 9,000 or 10,000 houses a year. That will go on, and the passing of this Bill will facilitate the process. The hon. and learned Gentleman asked about the future of the new towns. That will need to be dealt with by subsequent Bills, separate from this, and I have already given information to Parliament on that matter.

The one suggestion which I wish to counter now is the entirely false allegation that if the new towns are transferred to a new management agency, that would be undemocratic. The suggestion is, apparently, that we can have democracy only if the local authority owns the whole town.