§ Mr. Dicksasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what the latest information returned by London boroughs and metropolitan districts under section 56 of the Local Government Act 1985 shows.
§ Mr. ChopeMy right hon. Friend has today placed the information relating to September 1986, December 1986 and March 1987 in the Library of the House. The remaining information for June 1987, March 1988 and March 1989 will be placed in the Library when it becomes available.
I announced in February that some 6,300 posts had been saved immediately on abolition. The residuary bodies employed nearly 4,500 staff in June 1986. They are making good progress towards the early completion of these tasks and their staff had fallen by 600 by March 1987.
The information returned under section 56 shows that the number of staff engaged on functions inherited from the abolished councils rose by nearly 1,200 between June 1986 and March 1987.
441WThe estimates include all staff reported as taken of by successor councils to discharge their inherited functions, whether as an immediate consequence of abolition or subsequently. It is evident that some successor councils have not taken full advantage of the opportunity created by abolition for the streamlining of services and the elimination of duplication. Such councils remain accountable to their electorates for failing to pass on to ratepayers the real benefits in cash savings and improved services which abolition has achieved.