HC Deb 04 April 1984 vol 57 cc551-2W
17. Mr. Cartwright

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment when he now expects to produce firm proposals for the future government of London in the light of the responses to the White Paper, "Streamlining the Cities".

Sir George Young

We are still considering the responses to the White Paper. We shall announce our conclusions in due course.

23. Mr. Lofthouse

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he now has to ensure that persons made redundant through the possible abolition of the metropolitan councils are not re-employed at higher salaries by the proposed joint boards.

Mr. Waldegrave

We shall encourage the joint boards to give early consideration to their staffing needs so that unnecessary breaks in employment are avoided. In addition, there will be special controls over joint board precepts, and over their levels of manpower or manpower expenditure, in the first three years.

24. Mr. Sean Hughes

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment when he intends publishing his Bill to abolish the 1985 elections for the metropolitan county councils and the Greater London council.

33. Mr. Leighton

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment when he now expects to publish his Bill abolishing the 1985 elections to the Greater London council.

35. Mr. Cohen

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to publish his Bill abolishing the 1985 elections to the Greater London council.

37. Mr. Corbyn

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment when he now expects to publish his Bill abolishing the 1985 elections to the Greater London council.

Mr. Patrick Jenkin

The Bill was introduced last Friday.

25. Mr. Tony Banks

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to have completed his analysis of the responses received to Cmnd. 9063.

Mr. Patrick Jenkin

I hope to do so soon.

26. Mr. Woodall

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will be meeting the new chairman of the Association of Metropolitan Authorities to discuss the proposals for abolishing the metropolitan county councils and the Greater London council.

Mr. Waldegrave

I should be happy to do so.

34. Mr. Norman Atkinson

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will now establish an independent inquiry into the costs and implications of abolishing the metropolitan county councils and the Greater London council.

Mr. Waldegrave

No.

51. Mr. Duffy

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the representations he has received from Derbyshire county council in response to the proposals in Cmnd. 9063, "Streamlining the Cities".

Mr. Waldegrave

The council's response is being considered along with other views on the White Paper.

52. Mr. Park

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what account he took, when framing his proposals for abolition of the Greater London council and metropolitan county councils, of the effect of the reduction in the proportion of elected representatives to the electorate in England that would ensue.

Mr. Waldegrave

Our proposals increase effective accountability by passing most of the functions of the GLC and the metropolitan county councils to the borough and district councils whose members are closer to the electorate.

56. Mr. Eastham

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many representations he had received, as of 31 March, in response to his White Paper, "Streamlining the Cities".

Mr. Waldegrave

Over 2,300.

61. Mr. Terry Lewis

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will meet Coopers and Lybrand Ltd. to discuss its recent report concerning the implications of abolishing the metropolitan county councils.

Mr. Waldegrave

The report was prepared for the MCCs; I am always ready to talk to them with or without their consultants.