Mr. Dunnasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list in the Official Report details of those services and functions carried out by local government in England which (a) have been eliminated and (b) have been made discretionary since 3 May 1979.
§ Mr. KingI refer my hon. Friend to the White Paper "Central Government Controls over Local Authorities" (Cmnd. 7634), published in September 1979. Most of the controls listed have now been repealed or relaxed by the Housing Act 1980 and the Local Government, Planning and Land Act 1980. The few remaining will be dealt with at the next legislative opportunity. The outcome of our review of statutory duties, foreshadowed in the White Paper, which will have the effect of increasing the scope for local discretion, will also be implemented as soon as the legislative timetable permits.