§ 18. Mr. Steenasked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many 1181 committees or working groups have been set up as a consequence of the establishment of the Liverpool partnership arrangements a year ago; how many public officials are involved in total; and how many meetings have taken place to date.
§ Mr. ShoreThe Liverpool partnership is preparing a programme of action to deal with the very serious problems of the inner area. Work on the programme is being processed by six sector working parties and an officers steering group before consideration this summer by the partnership committee of Ministers and members, which I chair. The partnership committee has met twice.
§ Mr. SteenWill the right hon. Gentleman explain why he favours only public officials on the partnership committee rather than the many voluntary organisations and the community groups which want to get involved in the decision-making process? Why did the Government vote down the new clause in the Inner Urban Areas Bill which would have given those who live in inner cities the chance to tackle the problem and find solutions themselves?
§ Mr. ShoreThe officials are not members of the partnership committee, as the hon. Gentleman ought to know. Membership relates to elected members of the city council and Merseyside. On the second point, concerning the relationship between the Liverpool partnership and the various voluntary bodies and groups in the city, the kind of arrangement that is thought most suitable in the area has already been laid down. Each of the sector working parties has established special contacts with the range of voluntary bodies in its area of activity.
§ Mr. LoydenMay I sympathise with my right hon. Friend in trying to understand the comments of the hon. Member for Liverpool, Wavertree (Mr. Steen) on the subject of the inner area partnership? Is my right hon. Friend aware that the Tory Party, at a recent meeting at which he was present, extolled the virtues of inner area partnerships? May I assure my right hon. Friend that the people of Merseyside accept that this will be a contribution to the solution of their problems?
§ Mr. ShoreI thank my hon. Friend for those comments. I believe that the partnership programme, particularly that in Liverpool, is shaping well. I say no more than that now because these matters must be judged after we have had longer experience of their working than we have had so far. We have been able to make a series of announcements which have been of considerable help to Liverpool in most trying times.
§ Later—
§ Mr. HefferOn a point of order, Mr. Speaker. You will have noticed that there has been a very serious error on the Order Paper in that the hon. Member for Liverpool, Wavertree (Mr. Steen) is described in Question No. 18 as the hon. Member for Liverpool, Walton. I have a feeling that my constituents will not take kindly to that printer's error. May we have it corrected?
§ Mr. SpeakerYes, and I extend my humble apologies to both hon. Members.