§ Dr. Cunninghamasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what information he has as to shortages of qualified and experienced staff in the finance and computing departments of the metropolitan county councils and Greater London council; and what steps he proposes to take to ensure that sound financial administration is maintained during the period of the abolition of these councils.
§ Mr. Patrick JenkinSome of the abolition authorities have informed my Department that there has been an increase in the rate of staff turnover, but no comprehensive information about staff shortages is available. I am confident that the authorities concerned will ensure that sound financial management is maintained.
§ Mr. Corbettasked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what would be the main categories of transitional costs which he would expect to be incurred in the event of the abolition of each of the metropolitan counties;
(2) what would be the main needs of present metropolitan county operations and responsibilities where (a) he would expect significant savings to be achieved and (b) where he would expect significant costs to be incurred in the event of the abolition of the metropolitan counties.
§ Mr. WaldegraveI refer the hon. Member to chapter 6 of the White Paper "Streamlining the Cities" (Cmnd. 9063).
§ Mr. Freesonasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will incorporate into any legislation abolishing the Greater London council a statutory consultation process in which the proposed joint boards would be required to consult anybody appearing to represent London boroughs about their proposed expenditure and the proposed level of precept and to consider any views before approving their budgets and issuing precepts.
§ Mr. WaldegraveMy right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education and Science has proposed that the joint board for education in inner London should be required to consult the inner London boroughs and the City on its draft budget and the implications for the precept, and to consider any representations made by them before approving the budget and settling the precept. He is now considering the responses received to that proposal. We are also considering what arrangements might be made for the fire board in greater London and for the joint boards in the metropolitan counties.
§ Mr. Freesonasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what assistance will be given to the London boroughs if the Greater London council is abolished in relations to the funding of the voluntary bodies that currently receive grants from the Greater London council.
§ Mr. WaldegraveThe funding of voluntary bodies in London will be considered in the light of the responses to "Streamlining the Cities" (Cmnd. 9063) and the association consultation letter.
415W
§ Mr. Freesonasked the Secretary of State for the Environment how he proposes the functions carried out by the Greater London council's specialist services (a) historic building expert team. (b) survey and analysis facilities for land use, (c) decisions analysis, (d) aerial survey, (e) house condition survey, (f) traffic data, (g) census services, (h) mapping services and (i) employment data will be carried on should the Greater London council be abolished.
§ Mr. WaldegraveThese are among the many detailed matters to be considered in the light of consultations on our White Paper (Cmnd. 9063).
§ Mr. Tony Banksasked the Secretary of State for the Environment, in the event of the Greater London council being abolished, what changes he will propose in the Places of Religious Worship Act 1912, the Cremation Act 1902, the Burial Act 1906, the Fire Services Act 1947 and the Rag, Flock and Other Filling Materials Act 1951.
§ Mr. WaldegraveThere is no record of a Places of Religious Worship Act 1912. The Burial Act 1906 was repealed by the Local Government Act 1972. Abolition of the Greater London council would entail no changes for the Cremation Act 1902 or the Rag, Flock and Other Filling Materials Act 1951. Final decisions on changes required in the Fire Service Act 1947 will be taken when the Government have concluded their consideration of the future organisation of the fire service in London in the light of responses to the White Paper, Cmnd. 9063.
§ Mr. Freesonasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will ensure that any compensation payable to staff transferred from the Greater London council will not be at the expense of individual London boroughs if the Greater London council is abolished.
§ Mr. WaldegraveThis is a matter to be considered in the light of consultations on our White Paper (Cmnd. 9063).
§ Mr. Freesonasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will ensure that if the Greater London council is abolished future housing investment programmes allocations show separately the allocation made in the place of investment previously made by the Greater London council in statutory inprovement areas.
§ Sir George YoungAfter the abolition of the Greater London council, London boroughs will be free to use all the housing investment programme resources allocated to them in accordance with their own policies and priorities. It would not be appropriate to distinguish between elements of the allocation in the way the right hon. Gentleman suggests.
§ Mr. Shersbyasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if, when he is preparing the legislation necessary to abolish the Greater London council, he will include a provision whereby farms in the ownership of the council are first offered to existing tenants or, if they do not want to purchase, to the London boroughs in which they are situated.
§ Mr. MacfarlaneGLC-owned farms in Greater London subject to the Green Belt (London and Home Counties) Act 1938 would, under the proposals contained in annex B of the White Paper "Streamlining the Cities" (Cmnd. 9063), be transferred to the appropriate London borough councils which are themselves authorities with416W powers under this Act. The Act includes procedures for the disposal of Green Belt Act land which require the assent of all contributing, authorities and my right hon. Friend's approval. We shall consider my hon. Friend's suggestion in the light of the responses to our proposals.
§ Mr. Freesonasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will introduce a statutory scheme for inter-borough housing nominations if the Greater London council is abolished.
§ Mr. Tony Banksasked the Secretary of State for the Environment, in the event of the Greater London council being abolished, if he will ensure that local authorities which currently receive deficiency payments from the Greater London council in accordance with housing transfer statutory orders will suffer no worsening of their financial position as a result of the abolition of the council.
§ Sir George YoungI would refer the right hon. Member and the hon. Member to the proposals set out in paragraphs 3–5 and 7–9 of my Department's consultation paper "Streamlining the Cities: Housing" a copy of which has been placed in the Library of the House. We are now considering the responses we have received to that document.
§ Mr. Tony Banksasked the Secretary of State for the Environment, in the event of the Greater London council being abolished, what arrangements will be made to gather information and intelligence on, and plan and co-ordinate action to meet, London's particular economic, social and physical needs in an integrated way.
§ Mr. WaldegraveThis will be a matter for the bodies taking over the functions and for the London Planning Commission.
§ Mr. Freesonasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what consideration he has given to the establishment of a strengthened organisation of London boroughs if the Greater London council is abolished.
§ Mr. WaldegraveWe shall consider this along with all the other suggestions which have been made in response to Cmnd. 9063; but we are determined to ensure that most of the GLC's functions are transferred to the boroughs themselves.
§ Mr. Tony Banksasked the Secretary of State for the Environment, in the event of the Greater London council being abolished, what mechanisms will be available to ensure accountability to local ratepayers from the non-directly elected bodies for services such as fire, education and planning.
§ Mr. WaldegraveThe joint boards for fire, and for education in inner London, will be composed of elected members of the borough councils, appointed by those authorities and accountable through them to the ratepayers. Planning will become largely the responsibility of the boroughs themselves.
§ Mr. Tony Banksasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what information he has of recent expressions of public opinion regarding the abolition of the Greater London council.
§ Mr. WaldegraveI have received information from large numbers of individuals and organisations regarding the abolition of the Greater London council.
417W
§ Mr. Boyesasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has had from the leaders of principal opposition parties represented on each of the metropolitan counties; how many were in favour of retaining the councils; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Waldegrave[pursuant to his reply, 14 February 1984 c.179]: I cannot reveal representations made by individuals.
§ Mr. Tony Banksasked the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to publish the legislation to abolish the 1985 Greater London council election.
§ Mr. WaldegraveLater this Session.