§ Mr. O'Malleyasked the Minister of Housing and Local Government if he will state the total financial costs of the Bognor Regis Inquiry, arising from the dispute of Mr. Paul Smith, at present General Secretary of the Local Government Reform Association, with the Bognor Regis Urban District Council, presented to him and the chairman and members of the Bognor Regis Urban District Council on 22nd October, 1965; and if he is satisfied that charges of corruption in local government were completely unsubstantiated.
§ Mr. MacCollThe cost of the Bognor Regis Inquiry, which was shared equally between the Urban District Council and the Exchequer, was £2,111 10s. 4d.
On the second part of the question I would refer my hon. Friend to the Reply that my right hon. Friend's predecessor gave on 16th November, 1965, to a 321W Question by the hon. Member for Chichester (Mr. Loveys). My right hon. Friend's predecessor then said in reply to a supplementary question that the report had made clear that the charges of widespread corruption in local government were completely unsubstantiated.—[Vol. 720, c. 918.]