HC Deb 30 April 1980 vol 983 cc1375-6
24. Mr. Squire

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment when last he chaired the consultative council on local government finance.

Mr. Heseltine

On 15 April 1980.

Mr. Squire

At that meeting, will my right hon. Friend discuss the relatively unsatisfactory staffing levels—disclosed in the latest quarterly survey—with leaders of the local authority associations?

Mr. Heseltine

I have already been in touch with the local authority associations in order to try to get a fuller representation of the number of local authorities making returns. I have published recently the bulk of those returns. In the autumn, I shall expect local authorities to publish their quarterly returns in far greater detail, showing each total broken down into the various categories of employees on a regular quarterly basis. Of course, if the subject is raised at the consultative council, I shall discuss it.

Mr. Murphy

Will my right hon. Friend say whether he has had discussions with the consultative council on the topic of abolishing domestic rates and replacing them with a fairer form of local taxation?

Mr. Heseltine

I have not had specific discussions on this subject with the con- sultative council, but it will be aware of the Government's interest in pursuing such policies in the longer term.

Mr. Newens

Has the Secretary of State received protests from a considerable number of Conservative councils about his proposals for rates? Will he consider the unfairness of the proposals that affect the rate support grant given to Essex and other counties which are suffering problems of expansion?

Mr. Heseltine

The hon. Gentleman will be aware that these factors are taken into account every year in the calculations of the rate support grant. Incomparably the largest protest of which I am aware comes from those living in authority areas where the Labour Party has increased the rates on an extraordinary scale. The House will wish to bear in mind that there are no Conservative authorities among the 20 authorities with the largest rate increases, and that among the 20 authorities with the lowest rate increases there are no Labour authorities.

Mr. Hattersley

At a previous meeting of the consultative council the Secretary of State promised an early publication of the formula on which his punitive powers are to be based. Now that he has all the rate returns, can we be assured that the punitive legislation will be explained in detail before it is debated on Report on the Floor of the House?

Mr. Heseltine

The Government's views about the use of the transitional powers will have to be explained in detail to the House before they are used. I have no doubt that the right hon. Gentleman will explain at the same time the role that he played in precipitating the vast rate increases that we have seen in Labour authorities.

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