§ Mr. Richard Wainwrightasked the Minister of Housing and Local Government in how many instances during the past 10 years he has given permission to a local authority to vary the form of 301W any statutory committee required to be established under legislation for which he is the responsible Minister.
§ Mr. SkeffingtonThere are two statutory provisions for the appointment of particular committees in legislation for which my right hon. Friend is responsible. These are the appointment of Finance Committees by county councils under the Local Government Act 1933, and Allotments Committees by certain borough and urban district councils under the Allotments Acts of 1922 and 1925.
There is no power to vary the form of either of these committees. There is however a power to dispense with the appointment of an Allotments Committee. This has been exercised three times in the past ten years: once by the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food on application by the Metropolitan Borough of Hackney, and twice by the Minister of Land on the applications of the London Boroughs of Hammersmith and Lambeth.