§ 4. Sir A. Meyerasked the Secretary of State for Wales what comments he has received from Flintshire County Council on his proposals for local government reorganisation in Wales; and what replies he has sent.
§ Mr. Peter ThomasNone, so far, Sir.
§ Sir A. MeyerMay I assure my right hon. and learned Friend that there will be a general welcome in Flintshire for his decision to follow one of the few wise recommendations bequeathed to him by the right hon. Member for Cardiff, West (Mr. George Thomas), to resist suggestions that there should be an enormous, cumbrous county spanning the whole of North Wales, and, on the contrary, to provide two smaller counties? Wherever else he may lack friends in his proposals for the reorganisation of local government, he will find a great deal of support in Flintshire.
§ Mr. Peter ThomasYes, Sir. Although I have received no official comments from the Flintshire County Council, I have had many comments from officials, councillors and people in Flintshire, and I am fully aware that the majority of people support the division of North Wales into two counties.
§ 26. Mr. Alan Williamsasked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish a list of the informal discussions which he had prior to publishing his proposals for local government reform in Wales.
§ Mr. Peter ThomasNo, Sir. I know of no predecent or reason for doing so.
§ Mr. WilliamsIs the right hon. and learned Gentleman aware that the boundaries in his gerrymandering proposals appear to be based not on local government needs but upon last June's Conservative Party's canvas cards, and seem to have as their ultimate objective the aim 1124 of robbing the Labour Party of up to seven parliamentary seats in Wales? Will the right hon. and learned Gentleman explain why he was given the twin posts of Chairman of the Conservative Party and Secretary of State for Wales?
Further, will the right hon. and learned Gentleman give two categorical assurances—first, that there was no consultation between himself and officials of the Conservative Party on the effect that these boundaries would have upon the party political balance in Wales; and, second, that there is no intention to bring forward before 1979 the Report of the Parliamentary Boundary Commission?
§ Mr. Peter ThomasThat sort of exaggerated language has already been condemned by the Welsh newspapers in the matter of local Government reorganisation. Many of the objections that I have received to local government reorganisation have come from people whom the hon. Gentleman would identify with the Tory Party. I only wish that all the supporters of the Conservative Party in Wales were 100 per cent. behind the local government reorganisation proposals. Before these proposals were put forward, I obviously had a large number of discussions with a wide variety of people of all political complexions, and it would be absolutely pointless to try to list them all.
§ Mr. WilliamsOn a point of order, Mr. Speaker. In view of the inadequate answer and the inability of the Secretary of State to give assurances of considerable constitutional importance, I give notice that I shall endeavour to raise the matter on the Adjournment at the earliest possible opportunity.