§ 39. Commander Purseyasked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs whether the pending appeals of a Chelsea ratepayer against the District Auditor's failure to surcharge the Chelsea Borough Engineer and Surveyor for having improperly employed members of his council staff to do private work at, and in connection with, his properties at Kingston-upon-Thames over several days and during working hours, while being paid salaries from the rates, will be held in public, as were the original objections to the audit.
§ Mr. CorfieldThe ratepayer concerned has asked my right hon. Friend for a personal hearing under Section 231 of the Local Government Act, 1933. My right hon. Friend and his predecessors have always taken the view that personal hearings under this Section are required to be held in private.
§ 40. Commander Purseyasked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs whether he will state the reasons for the delay in arranging for the hearing of the Chelsea ratepayer's appeal against the District Auditor's failure to surcharge the Chelsea Borough Engineer and Surveyor for private work done at 197W ratepayers' expense, in view of the allegations of the improper use of staff, the improper use of the mayoral car and other alleged malpractices, some of which were reported to him in August, 1963.
§ Mr. CorfieldMy right hon. Friend received in August, 1963, appeals against the District Auditor's decision on certain objections made at the Audit of the Chelsea Borough Council's accounts for the financial year 1960–61. For a number of reasons, including the delay in lodging these appeals, there was doubt whether they were within my right hon. Friend's jurisdiction. These doubts have been resolved and the hearing will now be arranged.