HC Deb 09 May 1984 vol 59 c880
23. Mr. Michie

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to publish his full summary of the responses made to Cmnd. 9063.

7. Mr. Allan Roberts

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he is yet in a position to publish the further report dealing with the views expressed on certain aspects of the proposals in Cmnd. 9063, referred to in his answer to the hon. Member for Ealing, North (Mr. Greenway) of 9 April, Official Report, column 75; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Patrick Jenkin

The further report was made available on 4 May.

Mr. Michie

If this legislation must go through, improvident though it may be, not only sacking democratically elected councillors, but perhaps many hundreds of loyal government workers, how much time is the Secretary of State prepared to give to those people for proper consultation and hope for a fair hearing?

Mr. Jenkin

I should like to assure the hon. Gentleman that there will be as much consultation as those whose views have been sought are prepared to undertake. I reiterate once again my appeal to those local authorities, trade unions and other organisations which have so far refused to engage in proper consultations with my Department. Now that the paving Bill has received its Second Reading, this is the moment to start talking, and I hope that those who have so far refused to do so will now consider that, in the interests of the people who work in the authorities concerned, they should start to talk.

Mr. Flannery

Are not the Government determined that the little business known as democracy should not interfere in any way with their intentions? Will they not go ahead regardless, just as they have done practically every time, using their false majority in the House, because they have lost that majority among the people? Are they not detemined to carry on regardless, while not allowing democracy to interfere in any way?

Mr. Jenkin

A great many people connected with local government in the areas concerned believe that making local government more local, and returning powers to the local area, is more democratic than having large regional, remote authorities.