§ 6. Mr. Roy Hughesasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what further representations have been made to him by Hampshire County Council following the district auditor's report on the case of Mr. Anthony Johnson, a former secretary to the Council.
§ Mr. FreesonHampshire County Council has made no such representations to my right hon. Friend.
§ Mr. HughesDoes the Minister appreciate that this scandal arose out of the local government reorganisation carried out by the previous Tory Government, with all the squandering of public resources and bureaucratic extravaganza that went with it? Will he give the House an assurance that all possible precautions are now being taken to prevent abuses of this kind in the future?
§ Mr. FreesonAs my hon. Friend knows, I have a great deal of sympathy with the points that he made about local government reorganisation. On the specific issue that he raised, Sections 159 to 161 of the 1972 Act provide the appropriate machinery for challenging action by local authorities that is outside their statutory rights and duties.