§ Mr. Evelyn Kingasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what estimate he has of the total additional cost imposed upon local authorities in respect of the grant of concurrent powers, and the increase in staff which followed therefrom.
§ Mr. John Silkin:A number of permissive powers were available to both county and district councils, or to district and parish councils in the former administrative counties, and this situation has not been significantly changed. The exercise of such powers depends on local 41W discretion and consultation between authorities. No estimate is possible of the difference in cost as compared with a situation in which local authority powers were allocated solely to one tier or another.