§ Mr. Wintertonasked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will seek to amend the Local Government Act 1972 to allow all existing rural district councillors to continue in office until 31st March 1974, leaving single parish rural district councils to conform to Section 43(3) of the 1933 Act and in the case of single parish rural district councils without a separate parish council, to provide for separate elections in later 1973 with a view to the separate parish councils coming into being as from 1st April 1974 and the term of office of such parish councillors to expire in May 1976.
§ Mr. Graham PageNo. The point raised by my hon. Friend was considered in the context of the electoral arrangements provided for in the Local Government Act 1972. It is customary for parish council elections to be held with district council elections, and I do not think there is sufficient grounds for departing from that arrangement on this occasion.