§ Mr. John Evansasked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) if he will specify the local authorities with too many senior officers, referred to by his Chief Inspector of Audit when he said that there are too many senior officers employed by local authorities;
(2) if he will name in the Official Report, the local authorities with too many councillors, referred to by his Chief Inspector of Audit, when he said that there are too many councillors serving on local authorities.
§ Mr. John SilkinThe Chief Inspector of Audit is the head of an independent statutory service, and his recent paper to the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy, which my hon. Friend doubtless has in mind, was an expression of his own personal views. The Chief Inspector in fact made neither of the statements attributed to him, as will be noted from the copies of his paper which I am arranging to have placed in the Library.