§ 13. Mr. Llew SmithTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales to which individuals and organisations he distributed his paper "The Environmental Agenda for Wales".
§ Mr. Redwood"The Environmental Agenda for Wales" has been distributed to a wide range of interests in Wales, including all county and district councils, executive non-departmental public bodies, training and enterprise councils, district health authorities and national health service trusts, representatives of business and voluntary organisations and members of the public.
§ Mr. SmithHow can the Secretary of State justify his claim in his environmental agenda that he wants to involve local authorities whenever possible in making decisions on behalf of local communities when so many local authority powers have been passed to quangos? What policies does the right hon. Gentleman have to reverse that process?
§ Mr. RedwoodI am grateful to the hon. Gentleman because that is exactly the policy that I am trying to pursue, against members of Labour's Front Bench, who seem reluctant to see any powers transferred from, for example, the Countryside Council for Wales to local government. There is an opportunity, but I will not force it down the throats of local government. I set out ideas for consultation. If local authorities want more responsibility for some local environmental matters, the offer is there. I hope that the hon. Gentleman, unlike members of his Front Bench team, will encourage that process, and then we can do business.