§ 42. Mr. David EvansTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what proportion of councils in England and Wales now contract out local government services; and how much has been saved since 1981 as a result of such contracting out.
§ Mr. David HuntUnder part I of the Local Government Act 1988, all authorities in England and Wales are required to introduce competition for certain services, starting on 1 August 1989. Previous studies of voluntary competition indicate that savings of 20–30 per cent. have been achieved.