HC Deb 17 February 1998 vol 306 cc885-6
8. Mr. Doran

How many local authorities have qualified to date under the best value scheme. [28075]

Mr. Dewar

All Scottish councils have demonstrated commitment to best value, although some are further forward than others. Accordingly, I propose to retain the moratorium on compulsory competitive tendering for a further year. Five councils will be subject to conditions, including three that have accepted the need to retain competitive tendering. We put great emphasis on the importance of best value as a means of improving, with the co-operation of local government, the delivery of services to the public.

Mr. Doran

I thank my right hon. Friend for that announcement, which will be welcomed by local authorities throughout Scotland, especially my local authority in Aberdeen, which has led the way in the introduction of best value regimes. Does my right hon. Friend agree that the move away from the rigidities and inflexibilities of CCT, which he has confirmed today, will lead us into a new regime for local government finance, in which good housekeeping and best practice will be rewarded?

Mr. Dewar

That is certainly the intention, and it is the joint ambition of the local authority world and the Scottish Office. Plans have been laid out and objectives defined. The important thing is to deliver on both.

Mr. Ian Bruce

I am sure the right hon. Gentleman will acknowledge how difficult it is to do away with compulsory competitive tendering and bring in best value. Has he undertaken a comparison of the costs of local authorities in Scotland with those in the rest of the United Kingdom, especially as Scottish local authorities get 20 to 25 per cent. more funding than the rest of the country? Can he bring that figure down, to the benefit of the UK taxpayer?

Mr. Dewar

The hon. Gentleman, who I think has some Scottish antecedents, never misses the chance. His antecedents, I fear, are well buried, but the name is a clue. Simplistic comparisons of the kind in which he specialises are not always helpful. If he looks at the geography, social structure and environment in which many local authorities in Scotland operate, he will come across some of the explanations that he seeks.