Mr, R. C. Mitchellasked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will publish through Her Majesty's Stationery Office all circular letters sent out by his Department to the local authority associations in the same way as departmental circulars to local authorities are published.
§ Mr. KingNo. My Department's communications to local authorities take the form of circulars published by HMSO, non-published circular letters direct to authorities or messages which the associations are asked to pass on to their members. The subject matter of the two latter categories have not warranted wider publication.
Mr. R. C. Mitchellasked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will list in the Official Report all circular letters sent out by his Department to the local authority associations since 1 May 1979.
§ Mr. KingMy Department is regularly in correspondence with the associations on a wide variety of topics, mainly on a consultative basis. The correspondence
552Wreceipt of such advice; and if he will give a breakdown of the figures for each quarter or failing that each half-year since the Rent (Agriculture) Act came into force.
§ Mr. Stanley[pursuant to his reply, 18 February 19801: I regret that the figures given in my reply of 18 February were incomplete. The corrected figures for England and Wales for 1977 and 1978 are as follows:
has, however, included since 1 May 1979 the following letters specifically asking the associations to pass on the information concerned to their members:
Date of letter and Subject
- 13.6.79 Abolition of "first offer" procedure for surplus Government land.
- 3.8.79 Abolition of office development control.
- 6.8.79 Compensation for compulsory acquisition of property (change in Inland Revenue practice).
- 30.8.79 Advance notice of publicity campaign to advertise changes to Home Insulation Scheme.
- 4.9.79 Proposed abolition of 5-year rule requiring repayment of house renovation grant on sale of improved dwellings between owner-occupiers (Ministerial announcement).
- 15.9.79 Application of EEC Supplies Directive 77/62.
- —.9.79 Interest on belated transfer-value payments in the Local Government Superannuation Scheme.
- 4.10.79 Operation of the Construction Industry Home Deduction Scheme.
- 10.10.79 Further information about changes to Home Insulation Scheme (see above).
- —.10.79 Treatment of landlords' rent income for rate rebate purposes.
- 27.11.79 Proposed one-day conference on modernisation of local authority housing.
553 - 19.12.79 Decisions issued since March 1979 on appeals under S.10 of the Control of Pollution Act 1974.
- 23.1.80 Change in threshold for advertising Works Contracts (EEC Directive 71/305).