§ Mr. Cohenasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether he has any proposals to fill the gap between the 26 district councils in Northern Ireland and Parliament at Westminster by returning to locally-elected control in Northern Ireland those matters which elsewhere in the United Kingdom are the responsibility of local or regional authorities.
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§ Mr. MasonYes. The framework which I put to the main political parties in Northern Ireland last November envisages the establishment of a locally elected authority above the district council tier. This authority's responsibilities would include the administration of a wide range of services including those which before October 1973 were the responsibility of county councils or county boroughs in Northern Ireland. The system under which the authority would operate would need to be acceptable to this House as a whole and, as has been recognised by all the main parties here, acceptable also to both sides of the community in Northern Ireland. It would therefore need to reflect the special circumstances of Northern Ireland.
I remain ready to take part at any time in further discussion within the principles laid down in the "framework"