§ 14. Mr. David Atkinsonasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the progress of his plans to encourage local authorities to reduce expenditure by putting services out to private contract.
§ The Minister for Housing and Construction (Mr. Ian Gow)Because of the slow progress made by many local authorities in putting their services to the test of competition, we are considering what measures can be taken to speed up the process and get better value for money.
§ Mr. David AtkinsonIs it not a public scandal that over 90 per cent. of all local authorities have not explored the scope for privatisation, despite the dramatic savings 1034 that have been made by those that have? Will my hon. Friend now emulate his right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Social Services and ask local authorities to submit plans to put specific services to the test of competition and to explore the scope for others?
§ Mr. GowAs to the first part of my hon. Friend's question, he is right. Despite estimated annual savings of some £7 million, from 23 contracts let so far for refuse collection and street cleaning, not one of those councils is Labour-controlled. Next week the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy will publish a management guide to contracting out in local government, a project which was part-funded by my Department. I hope that that publication will be widely studied, particularly by Labour-controlled authorities.
§ Mr. HaynesIs the Minister aware that the Ashfield district council in my constituency wants to make it clear to him that he should keep his grubby fingers off the refuse collection service in that district? When he talks about reduced expenditure, we all know what that means—disgruntled ratepayers and rubbish all over the streets where the collectors will not go back to pick it up when they have dropped it. The Minister should keep his grubby hands off the Ashfield service.
§ Mr. GowThe hon. Gentleman is not living in the real world. The experience of ratepayers where the local authorities have contracted out services is that there has been an improvement in the service and a substantial reduction in cost. The hon. Gentleman ought to have more concern for his own ratepayers.
§ Mr. TraceyWill my hon. Friend take note of the achievements of various London boroughs, particularly Conservative ones, including Wandsworth and other London Conservative-controlled boroughs, and will he take note of the early-day motion tabled by my hon. Friend the Member for Southampton, Itchen (Mr. Chope), and put services out to tender?
§ Mr. GowI have seen the early-day motion tabled by my hon. Friend the Member for Southampton, lichen (Mr. Chope) and signed by a large number of my right lion. and hon. Friends. The Government are considering what further steps to take to encourage local authorities to put these works out to competitive tender.
§ Mr. FatchettBefore the Minister goes ahead with compelling local authorities to privatise services, will he, in the name of open government, publish on all occasions the minutes of meetings that he has with the associations of private contractors that deal with these matters? As the public are interested in this, will he also publish the names of Conservative Members who have financial interests in such companies, because I am sure that it is not just my hon. Friend the Member for Ashfield (Mr. Haynes) who would like to see the dirty fingerprints that will be on these contracts?