HC Deb 10 November 1971 vol 825 c1011
18. Mr. William Hamilton

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland when he intends to produce his plans for the reform of local government finance.

Mr. Gordon Campbell

Firm proposals will be put forward after the Government have considered the views of all concerned on the Green Paper published in July.

Mr. Hamilton

That Green Paper had a bad Press and bad publicity because of its essential conservatism and its advocacy of no change within what is recognised as a regressive system of local government finance. Will the right hon. Gentleman give an assurance that the Government will come forward with firm proposals before they proceed with their restructuring of the whole local government service?

Mr. Campbell

I hope that proposals will come forward during 1972, in time therefore, unless the consultations take much longer than I expect, for the Scottish local government reform Bill. The Wheatley Commission set up under the last Government had no remit on finance, and the Green Paper published the results of an internal Government study which had been started by the last Government before we came into office.