§ Mr. Shersbyasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what proposals 400W he has put to the chairmen of the representative associations to set up a consultative council on all matters of policy affecting local authorities which have major financial implications; when the council will hold its first meeting; and if he will publish the names of the members of the council in the Official Report.
§ Mr. CroslandI have now set up the Consultative Council on Local Government Finance. It had its first meeting on 12th May. Local authority association elected members welcomed this proposal to bring them into central Government economic thinking and to provide a forum for considering the implications for local authorities of financial and economic decisions. The council consists of a small group of senior Ministers from Departments concerned with local authority expenditure, and leading elected members of local authority associations.
Those attending this first meeting were:
The Secretary of State for the Environment.
The Under-Secretary of State for the Environment, the hon. Member for Widnes (Mr Oakes).
The Secretary of State for Education and Science.
The Secretary of State for Wales.
The Chief Secretary to the Treasury.
The Minister of State, Department of Health and Social Security, the hon. Member for Plymouth, Devonport (Dr. Owen).
Lord Harris, Minister of State, Home Office.
Association of Metropolitan Authorities
Sir Robert Thomas.
Councillor J. Smart.
Councillor C. Wilkinson.
Association of County Councils
Sir Meredith Whittaker.
Mr. F. D. Pickering.
Mr. N. R. L. Cowan.
Association of District Councils
Commander Duncan Lock.
Councillor S. Smith.
Greater London Council
Sir Reg Goodwin.
Mr. I. Harrington.
London Boroughs Association
Alderman Sir Lou Sherman.