§ Mr. Arthur Jonesasked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many successor parishes have now been constituted following recommendations by the Local Government Boundary Commission; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Rippon296. This figure includes 27 further parishes proposed in the commission's Report No. 5, the recommendations of which I recently accepted. The towns concerned are :
Barnstaple Ilkley Bideford Kidsgrove Bishop's Stortford Kirkburton Chichester Meltham Clitheroe Newton Abbot Denby Dale Normanton Falmouth Saddleworth Featherstone Skipton Felixstowe Tiverton Harpenden Trowbridge Hetton Truro Holmfirth Winsford Horwich Wisbech The councils of these new parishes will have the same powers as those of existing rural parishes, including new powers added by the Local Government Act 1972, notably the right to see and comment on applications for planning permission. They will be able to assume the title of "town council", in which case the chairman will bear the statutory title of "town mayor", but will no doubt be commonly described as "Mr. Mayor".