HC Deb 07 May 1968 vol 764 cc188-9
16. Mr. Ridsdale

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government when he now expects to receive the Report of the Royal Commission on Local Government.

The Joint Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Housing and Local Government (Mr. Arthur Skeffington)

Towards the end of this year, 1968, Sir.

Mr. Ridsdale

Will it be in time to introduce the major reform of local government finance which the Labour Party promised in its election manifesto, before a General Election, or is this to be another broken promise?

Mr. Skeffington

The Government have always made it absolutely clear, since and even before the setting up of the Royal Commission, that it would be impossible to embark upon a wide-scale alteration in local government finance until the structure had been established. That is common sense, and I should have thought that it would have been acceptable to everybody.