§ Mr. Sproatasked the Secretary of State for Scotland if, in view of the continued high spending of certain local authorities 42W in Scotland, he will now give consideration to the introduction of legislation to enable him to form a small team of outside auditors with powers to investigate all details of the spending of local authorities and to summon whatever local authority officials or councillors they may consider necessary for these investigations, in order to eliminate waste of ratepayers' and taxpayers' money.
§ Mr. YoungerThe Commission for Local Authority Accounts in Scotland already has wide powers of investigation and examination, and no further legislation on the lines proposed by my hon. Friend is intended at the present time.