HC Deb 25 January 1979 vol 961 cc231-3W
Mr. Clemitson

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether the Government are yet in a position to bring forward their proposals for limited change in local government; and whether the consultations promised in his answer of 3 August 1978 to the hon. Member for Bristol, North-East (Mr. Palmer) will soon begin.

Mr. Shore

Yes. A White Paper on organic change in local government has been published today, and copies are available in the Vote Office. It sets out the Government's proposals, while inviting consultation on a number of issues.

The Government proposed that in the interests of healthy local democracy the Local Government Act 1972 should be amended to enable the selective transfer of certain functions from county councils to district councils in England outside London. The functions concerned, and

and for 1978. No survey was undertaken in 1977. To maintain comparison with earlier data, information continues to be collected following the old county boundaries. Figures are therefore not available separately for the county of Avon. Since the number of dead elms removed is not recorded, these annual figures overlap and an accurate estimate of total deaths is not practicable.

the categories of authority which it is proposed should be eligibile to receive them, are as follows.

Non-metropolitan district councils with populations over 100,000 will be considered for a transfer of responsibility for personal social services. Any proposals for the transfer of education and related services will be considered only in the case of the nine largest non-metropolitan city councils. Traffic management powers may be sought by any non-metropolitan district with a total population of at least 100,000 and an urban nucleus of 50,000. Finally in the field of town and country planning the Government propose that development control responsibility for all but a narrow range of specific matters should rest with district councils; this proposal relates to all district councils in England.

The starting point for any transfer of personal social services, education or traffic management will be a resolution by the district council seeking an order transferring the relevant responsibility. Applications will be decided by Ministers. They will be advised in the case of education and social services by independent bodies appointed for the purpose. Special consideration will be given to applications for traffic management functions from districts where the urban nucleus is contiguous with that of another district. Orders transferring responsibilities for education or social services will be subject to Parliamentary approval.

The change in development control responsibilities will be made by amending the definition of county matters in paragraph 32 of Schedule 16 to the Local Government Act 1972.

Views are being invited by the end of March from the local authorities, the local authority associations and other bodies concerned on a number of detailed issues raised in the White Paper; and the Government propose to raise in the Consultative Council for Local Government Finance the question of changes in financial arrangements. It is the Government's intention to bring forward legislation as soon as parliamentary time allows.