Mr. Spicerasked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether, in view of the reasons given for the refusal to grant successor parish council status to the former Malvern Urban District Council, he will authorise the formation of parishes of more modest size, either based on an amalgamation of existing wards into suitably sized units, or by forming new parish areas of suitable size for the purpose of establishing parish councils.
§ Mr. John SilkinUnder Section 48 of the Local Government Act 1972, district councils may make proposals to the Local Government Boundary Commission for creating new parishes. The commission is required, however, to give priority to the review of electoral areas in the new local authorities and this statutory obligation must necessarily limit its ability to consider parish proposals at this stage. The commission has set out its future programme of work in its report No. 6, a copy of which I am sending to the hon. Member.