§ Mr. Ewingasked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish in the Official Report a table showing how many local authorities which were due to reply by 31st March to his circular on the reorganisation of local government have replied, how many have failed to reply, how many have indicated agreement, and how many have indicated disagreement, respectively.
§ Mr. Gordon CampbellMany of the authorities which were invited to comment on my Department's draft proposals by 31st March have sent helpful and constructive replies; but it would be misleading to give precise figures since a number of the replies received in the Department have been of an interim character.
191WThe Department's circular letter did not seek agreement to the draft proposals which accompanied it but comments on these proposals or suggestions for improving them. The observations received in the Department are now receiving careful consideration, and in many cases are the subject of further correspondence with the authorities concerned.