§ Mr. McCrindleasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his policy towards the expansion of direct labour, in the light of the uncompetitive nature of most direct labour organisations, and the likelihood that any expansion would have to result from allocation of work in defiance of market forces.
§ Mr. FreesonI have already stated that I wish to provide a framework for the operation of local authority direct labour organisations which will encourage them to become more efficient and competitive, and I hope shortly to publish a consultative document which will explain our policies and proposals in detail.