§ 2. Mr. Kilroy-Silkasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will issue a circular to local authorities to encourage them to curb excessive or ostentatious expenditure.
§ 4. Mr. Rookerasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will issue a circular to local authorities advising them to reduce expenditure on hospitality.
§ The Under-Secretary of State for the Environment (Mr. Gordon Oakes)My Department issued a very clear circular on 24th December last year and has just reinforced this by a further circular on 27th June. These have underlined the need for local authorities to adhere rigorously to the limits set by the rate support grant settlement.
§ Mr. Kilroy-SilkWill not the Minister accept that at a time when local authorities are making savage cuts in education and personal social services, it is intolerable that they should spend such large sums of money on mayoral cars, on hospitality and on junketing at conferences? Does he realise that the Sefton Metropolitan Council in my area, which is savagely cutting the number of teachers in its schools, is at the same time spending £10,000 on sending its "It's a Knockout" team to the Continent? Will he take more positive action to stop this insensitive display of ostentatious spending and to ensure that local authorities are more responsible in their attitude?
§ Mr. OakesLocal authorities are elected bodies, but I agree with my hon. Friend in regard to any display of ostentation at a time such as this. It is not the amount of money involved but the principle behind it. May I reinforce what my right hon. Friend has said very forcibly, that central Government financial support to local government will not be increased to meet the cost incurred by authorities acting outside the guidelines.
§ Mr. FryFollowing the Chancellor of the Exchequer's statement yesterday, will the Minister send an instruction to local authorities that the rate demands next year should not exceed those for this year by more than 10 per cent.? Does he agree that if the ratepayers find that the rate demands are higher, they will be fully justified in making trouble and refusing to pay any more?
§ Mr. OakesI think that on reflection the hon. Gentleman will regret his last remarks. It does no good to the authority or to the individual to take that course of action. It would not be appropriate to issue such a circular to local authorities, but I reinforce what the Government have been saying repeatedly as to the need to keep expenditure down to inescapable demands.
§ Mr. RookerDoes the Minister agree that in the light of the fact that since 27th June, when the local authorities were last contacted, we now have the Chancellor of the Exchequer's statement of yesterday, my original Question was too temperate, that there are no grounds whatsoever for any amounts to be spent on hos- 1444 pitality by local authorities in the next two years or so, and that there should be a complete block on any such expenditure?
§ Mr. OakesWe are meeting the local authorities, as my hon. Friend knows, and I am sure that we shall keep his remarks in mind, as I hope they will.
§ Mr. Evelyn KingWill the Minister say whether he has observed the evidence given recently by the Layfield Committee to the effect that deficit spending on leisure centres and swimming pools provided by local authorities will rise from £13 million to £40 million a year in the next five years? Bearing in mind the position of the homeless, the hospitals and the education services, will the Minister express a view that this sort of expenditure can have no justification?
§ Mr. OakesIt is difficult to say "no justification", but the leisure services activities, where there has been a high growth in expenditure, sometimes deservedly so, were specifically mentioned in the circular in December.
§ Mr. William HamiltonIs my hon. Friend aware that I had a telephone call yesterday from a Tory lady in Edinburgh complaining about the extravagant expenditure on a Royal visit to Edinburgh in a few days' time, and that Edinburgh is tearing up many dozens of parking meters at public expense? Will he make sure that the Scottish Office sends out a more violent circular than he has sent to the English local authorities?
§ Mr. OakesIn this vexed question of rates and local government expenditure, I am delighted to tell my hon. Friend that I have no responsibility whatsoever for Scotland.
§ Mr. SpeedFollowing the Chancellor's statement yesterday, does the Minister intend to use cash limits as a means of controlling local government expenditure?
§ Mr. OakesWe are discussing with local authorities the levels of expenditure for next year. I should be anticipating if I were to decide on any specific course of action at present.