§ Lord Sefton of Garstonasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will publish the estimates they have made of the requirements of any new authorities, bodies, or district councils which they will propose should take over functions and responsibilities of the present metropolitan counties; and
Whether they have carried out any research, and whether they have any evidence supporting their 758WA statement in the White Paper Streamlining the Cities (Cmnd. 9063) that the proposals "will save money"; and if so whether they will publish the details of such research and evidence in order to assist Members of the House in their examination of the problem.
§ The Minister of State, Department of the Environment (Lord Bellwin)The proposals set out in our White Paper (Cmnd. 9063) will lead to the elimination of an entire tier of local government in the metropolitan areas, with the consequential savings which will flow from that. Firm estimates of savings or of the requirements of successor bodies must however depend on decisions by them on the discharge of their new responsibilities. Preliminary estimates from some districts indicate that substantial savings can be achieved in the services to be transferred to them. An example of the extent to which such savings can be realised was placed in the Library in response to a question from the noble Lord, Lord Graham of Edmonton (Official Report, 14th December 1983; col. 340).