§ Mr. Allan StewartTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he still intends to introduce regulations on councillors' allowances on 1 July 1990; and when he proposes to consult on regulations in respect of voting rights and political balance on local authority committees.
§ Mr. RifkindMy final proposals for councillors' allowances in Scotland were sent to the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA) last week. I have decided to defer introduction of the new scheme until 1 August 1990 to allow more time for authorities to make the necessary arrangements.
As regards the proposed regulations on voting rights and political balance on committees, I shall be consulting COSLA on these shortly and shall reach a final decision on an implementation date in the light of their response.