HC Deb 08 November 1960 vol 629 cc815-6
33. Mr. Skeffington

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs why the Report of the Royal Commission on Local Government in Greater London was made available to the Press before it was made available to local authorities.

Mr. H. Brooke

The Report of a Royal Commission is published by Her Majesty's Stationery Office on behalf of the Royal Commission and not of any Minister of the Crown. I understand that, in accordance with the normal practice for a document of this kind, the Report in question was published at the same time that it was made available in Parliament.

Mr. Skeffington

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that apparently the Press did get this Report some hours before the local authorities? Will he take some steps to use what influence he can to see that local authorities in future have such reports at the same time as the Press? It seems to be a matter of commonsense and courtesy. Is the right hon. Gentleman further aware that it is rather embarrassing for a local authority to be rung up by someone on a local paper and to be asked, "What do you think about being abolished?" when the local authority has not even had the Report?

Mr. Brooke

This is the responsibility of the Royal Commission, and not mine, but I can assure the House that the rules were observed about the Report being made available first to Members of Parliament. It really would have been improper, in my submission, for copies to have been sent to local authorities before they were available to hon. Members in the Vote Office.