§ Mr. Harry GreenwayTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what resources he will make available to authorities that are to be reorganised on 1 April 1995 or 1996 for reorganisation costs incurred by them in 1995–96, and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. CurryI announced on 2 December 1994,Official Report, column 921, that I was inviting authorities in the county areas of Avon, Cleveland, Humberside, North Yorkshire and the Isle of Wight to submit estimates of the amount of expenditure they expect to incur on reorganisation in 1995–96. On the basis, inter alia, of the information provided by the authorities, I have decided the maximum amounts that it would be appropriate to allocate at this stage towards eligible costs incurred in 1995–96.
I propose to make further allocations during the course of 1995–96 to shadow authorities when they are elected; to all eligible authorities in the light of revised estimates to be submitted at the end of September, especially in respect of redundancy and staff compensation costs; and to some authorities who are being asked to look again at certain expenditures that they are proposing to incur, especially on accommodation. Authorities for whom reorganisation orders are made under section 17 of the Local Government Act 1992 during the course of 1995–96 may also qualify under the scheme. I propose to hold back £27 million out of the total provision of £50 million for these purposes. The balance of £23 million will be allocated to authorities as set out. Authorities will be notified within the next few days of their maximum amount and of the considerations underlying my decision. The amounts are as follows:
806W
Authority Maximum amount £ thousand rounded Avon Avon County Council 500 Bristol City Council 2,800
Authority Maximum amount £ thousand rounded Woodspring District Council 2,500 Bath City Council 250 Wansdyke District Council 240 Kingswood Borough Council 250 Northavon District Council 250 Cleveland Cleveland County Council 500 Hartlepool Borough Council 2,750 Langbaurgh on Tees Borough Council 1,850 Middlesbrough Borough Council 1,160 Stockton on Tees Borough Council 2,280 Humberside Humberside County Council 500 Hull City Council 2,800 Beverley Borough Council 250 Boothferry Borough Council 300 East Yorkshire Borough Council 250 Holderness Borough Council 250 Glanford Borough Council 250 Scunthorpe Borough Council 250 Cleesthorpes Borough Council 250 Great Grimsby Borough Council 250 North Yorkshire North Yorkshire County Council 500 Ryedale District Council 60 Selby District Council 60 City of York Council 250 Isle of Wight Isle of Wight Council 1,450 Total 23,000
§ Mr. PickthallTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment under what provisions a local authority which is due to change its name may use powers assigned to the authority under the new name before the date of the change.
§ Mr. Robert B. Jones[holding answer 15 February 1995]: Where a local authority's name is changed, this does not affect the authority's legal status and provisions apply to that authority regardless of its name.
§ Mr. TippingTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will set out the estimates he has received from the Local Government Commission for transitional costs connected with proposed reorganisation in the Isle of Wight, Avon, Cleveland, North Yorkshire and Humberside.
§ Mr. Robert B. Jones[holding answer 15 February 1995]: The Local Government Commission's estimates of transitional costs of reorganisation are:
Transitional costs £ million Isle of Wight 4–5 Avon 13–18 Cleveland 13–18 North Yorkshire 3–4 Note:
They did not publish a separate estimate for Humberside.