Local Government Boundary Commission

HC Deb 09 July 1991 vol 194 cc318-9W

Mr. Austin Mitchell

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what are the names, geographical origins, local government experience and when it was gained, other experience and length of service of each member of the local government Boundary Commission who took part in the local government Boundary Commission's review of Humberside; who were the advisers and researchers; what was the number and duration of visits by the Commission and advisers and researchers to(a) Lincoln, (b) Beverley, (c) Grimsby and (d) Hull in the course of the review; and if he will list the different conclusions in the stages of the review and the voting figures on each.

Mr. Key

The present members of the Commission are Mr. G. J. Ellerton (chairman); Mr. K. F. J. Ennals; Mr. G. R. Prentice; Mrs. H. Sarkany; Mr. C. W. Smith; and Professor K. Young.

Mr. Ellerton served in the colonial service from 1945 ending up as Secretary to the Cabinet in Kenya in 1963. After service as secretary of the Maud and Mallaby Committees on local government and staffing, he joined the Elder Dempster shipping line, becoming chairman from 1972 to 1974. He was later a director of Ocean Transport and Trading Ltd., Overseas Containers Ltd., and chairman of Globe Management Ltd. At the time of his retirement from commerce in 1986, he was a director of Globe Investment Trust.

Mr. Ennals joined the civil service in 1952. After service in the Export Credits Guarantee Department, Department of Economic Affairs, and Ministry of Housing and Local Government he was director, local government directorate, Department of the Environment. He later became director general, Organisation and Establishments (DOE), and, before retirement in 1987, deputy secretary, Finance and Local Government (DOE).

Mr. Prentice began his career in 1952 as an accountant with Hertfordshire county council. He later had assistant county treasurer posts with Cheshire, Nottinghamshire, and Hampshire county councils. From 1970 he was county treasurer, Kesteven county council and from 1974 to 1979, Lincolnshire county council. From 1979 to his retirement in 1983, he was chief executive, Lincolnshire county council.

Mrs. Sarkany held various teaching posts in north London and the USA from 1958 to 1976, later becoming a solicitor in general practice. She is a JP and part-time chairman of a supplementary benefit tribunal.

Mr. Smith trained as a civil engineer and held various posts in local authority planning departments. In 1959 he became county planning officer, East Suffolk county council. In 1971 he became chief executive, East Suffolk county council, and from 1974 until retirement in 1990, chief executive, Suffolk county council.

Professor Young was a research officer at the London School of Economics, 1966–73; research fellow, later senior research fellow, university of Kent, and school for advanced urban studies, university of Bristol. From 1979 to 1987, senior fellow, policy studies institute, during which time (1985–86) he was research director, and adviser, to the Committee on Conduct of Local Authority Business (Widdecombe Committee) and director, Institute of Local Government Studies, university of Birmingham 1987–90. He is now Professor of politics, university of London.

We have no information on the members' birthplaces.

The conduct of the review is, by statute, a matter for the Commission.