§ Mr. Foxasked the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the future of the Development Commission.
§ The Prime MinisterThe Government are reviewing the objectives and work of120W the Development Commission as part of the review of activities announced in the White Paper "The Reorganisation of Central Government", Cmnd. 4506.
To facilitate this review, I have decided that responsibility for the Development Commission will be transferred from the Treasury to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment. A Transfer of Functions Order under the Ministers of the Crown (Transfer of Functions) Act, 1946, will be laid before Parliament as soon as possible to give effect to this transfer.
The Development Commission has responsibilities throughout Great Britain and the Secretary of State will of course work in close consultation with my right hon. Friends the Secretary of State for Scotland and the Secretary of State for Wales. On day-to-day operations the Commission will continue to consult directly the Scottish and Welsh Offices and other Departments as necessary.
When the transfer has taken effect, the Departments responsible will complete the review of the Commission and its activities, including particularly tourism, in the light of the objectives they serve, to enable the Government to decide whether the existing arrangements represent the best available means of achieving those objectives.