HC Deb 23 May 1968 vol 765 cc850-2
19. Mr. Tom Boardman

asked the Secretary of State for Economic Affairs what machinery exists for ensuring contact between regional economic planning boards and officials of local authorities within their regions; whether he is satisfied that it is working effectively; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Shore

Economic planning boards consult regularly with the Standing Conferences of Local Authorities and with the officers of individual local authorities in their regions. These arrangements are working effectively.

Mr. Boardman

Surely the right hon. Gentleman is aware of the grave dissatisfaction felt by many local authorities at the lack of consultation? Will he issue a direction to remedy this?

Mr. Shore

Guidance is being issued to local authorities about the rôle of the regional planning boards and the planning councils, but I do not think that there is the dissatisfaction which the hon. Gentleman suggests. The very presence of the planning councils has led to a number of new standing conferences being set up by local authorities, and the contacts between the two bodies in most regions are very good.

Mr. George Jeger

If there were consultations between the regional planning boards and the local authorities, would we not have been spared the humiliation of seeing, in the West Riding, attempts by the North-Eastern Development Council to woo Yorkshire firms and offer them inducements to leave areas of already high unemployment for the North-East?

Mr. Shore

My hon. Friend seems to be confusing the development councils with the regional planning councils. The North-Eastern Development Council is entirely independent and is not part of the regional planning machinery.

Mr. Patrick Jenkin

But would the right hon. Gentleman not agree that it makes a complete nonsense of regional planning unless the membership from the elected councils reflects their overall membership? In view of the sweeping and welcome changes which have swept through town halls throughout the country, should there not now be major changes in the representation on these councils?

Mr. Shore

In the regional economic planning councils, we wish, of course, to have people with experience in local government, and we have a substantial number of representatives. I have recently reviewed council membership and a number of changes have taken place.