§ Lord Melchettasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they are taking steps to ensure that ecological work currently carried out by the metropolitan counties will continue if they are abolished, and, if so, who will carry out this work and who will bear the cost.
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§ The Minister of State, Department of the Environment (Lord Bellwin)The metropolitan district councils already have the necessary powers to carry out this type of work. The Government have no reason to believe that they will exercise those powers any less responsibly than have the metropolitan county councils. After abolition the district councils will attract all the block grant paid in support of expenditure of this type in the metropolitan areas. Decisions on expenditure will be a local matter.