§ Mr. AltonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what considerations underlay the decision of the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, the hon. Member for Croydon, Central (Sir P. Beresford), to give a detailed reply to the hon. Member for Wallasey (Ms Eagle) on 17 January,Official Report, columns 411–12, on the subject of the Merseyside development corporation rather than to wait until his Department was able to issue a Treasury minute in response to the Committee.
§ Sir Paul BeresfordThe question asked by the hon. Member for Wallasey referred to the position of the chairman and chief executive of the corporation. My reply addressed that issue, which was not raised in the conclusions or recommendations of the Public Accounts Committee report. It also referred to the action already taken to address shortcomings in financial management following the publication of the National Audit Office report in March 1994. Those actions are on the record and are summarised in paragraph 51 of the PAC report.
The Government's response to the PAC report will be made shortly in the normal way.