§ Mrs. Rumboldasked the Secretary of State for the Environment when he last discussed the reduction of responsibilities planned for local government with the local authority associations.
§ Mr. WaldegraveThe scope for further reducing controls over local authorities was one of the items discussed with the local authority associations last October, in the context of the Government's financial management initiative.
§ Mr. Lesterasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list all Acts of Parliament, statutory 780W instruments and ministerial circulars that have placed extra duties and burdens upon local authorities since 1979; and if he will give for each of them an estimate of the increases in expenditure and manpower brought about by these increases in duties and burdens.
§ Mr. Chris Smithasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list all Acts of Parliament, instruments and ministerial circulars that have reduced the duties and burdens upon local authorites since 1979: and if he will give for each of them an estimate of the savings in expenditure and manpower brought about by these reductions in duties and burdens.
§ Mr. WaldegraveThe information requested is not readily available, and its collection across all relevant Departments would entail disproportionate expense. But on my initiative the Consultative Council on Local Government Finance has commissioned a study by the Joint Manpower Watch Group into the factors affecting recent local government manpower trends and associated expenditure.