§ Dr. Cunninghamasked the Secretary of State for the Environment how he proposes to treat for financial control purposes expenditure by metropolitan district councils on providing central support services to the proposed joint boards in the event of the implementation of Cmnd. 9063.
§ Mr. Patrick JenkinDistricts providing central support services will be able to look to the joint boards for appropriate repayment, and such expenditure would not therefore count towards targets.
§ Dr. Cunninghamasked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many of the nine full-time equivalent staff in his Department who are engaged on work connected with the proposed abolition of the Greater London council and the metropolitan county councils have an annual salary (a) above £20,000, (b) above £10,00 but below £20,000 and (c) below £10,000.
§ Mr. Patrick JenkinOn the basis that the question relates to the 8.2 full-time equivalent staff assigned to this work between June 1983 and January 1984, as mentioned in my reply to a question from the hon. Member for Copeland (Dr. Cunningham) on 1 February, at columns 214–15, the table gives the ranges of the salary scales for the staff concerned.
35W
Grade Number of staff Current salary scale (including London Weighting) (£pa) Under secretary 0.1 29,000 Assistant secretary 1.2 20,493–24,409 Principal 1.6 13,649–17,906
Grade Number of staff Current salary scale (including London Weighting) (£pa) Higher executive officer (D) 2.9 9,416–11,468 Higher executive officer 2.9 9,416–11,468 Executive officer 1.2 5,796–9,328 Clerical assistant 0.2 3,886–5,834 Personal secretary 1.0 6,136–7,242 8.2
§ Mr. Tony Banksasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has asked management consultants to consider the Government's proposed new structure for local government in London.
§ Mr. WaldegraveNo.
§ Mr. Tony Banksasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what arrangements will be made for the residuary body to meet the cost of payments due under the Pensions (Increase) Acts in the event of the abolition of the Greater London council.
§ Mr. WaldegraveUnder the Pensions (Increase) Act 1971, the cost of pensions increase is received by the pensions authority from the last employing authority. In so far as a last employing authority—within the meaning of the 1971 Act—cannot be identified, the costs of pension increase will be recovered by the residuary body from the London borough councils and the common council of the city of London as a whole, in the same way as other unattributable costs of the residuary body.
§ Mr. Tony Banksasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if Her Majesty's Government propose to carry out any value for money studies on their proposed new structure for local government in London in the event of the abolition of the Greater London council.
§ Mr. WaldegraveMy right hon. Friend has at present no plans to do so.
§ Mr. Tony Banksasked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what account he has taken in assessing the costs and savings arising from abolition of the Greater London council, of the costs arising from changes required in the communications between London boroughs consequent on the functions which would be transferred on abolition;
(2) how much of the Government's estimate of savings in the event of the abolition of the Greater London council and metropolitan counties in cash and percentage terms, is accounted for by (a) assumptions about the relative level of provision of services before and after abolition, (b) assumptions about the relative level of efficiency in the provision of services before and after abolition and (c) assumptions about the relative economies of scale in the provision of services before and after abolition.
§ Mr. WaldegraveI refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Blackburn (Mr. Straw) on 31 January at column 151.
§ Mr. Tony Banksasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps he proposes to take in the event of the abolition of the Greater London council to provide 36W specific financial assistance to the industry and employment programme of the London boroughs; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. WaldegraveMy right hon. Friend has nothing to add to paragraph 2.28 of his White Paper "Streamlining the Cities" (Cmnd. 9063).
§ Mr. Tony Banksasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what assessment Her Majesty's Government have made in the formulation of their policy on the abolition of the Greater London council and the metropolitan county councils, of the change in accommodation requirements of transferee authorities; what proposals Her Majesty's Government have to meet the requirements; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. WaldegraveIt will be for the successor authorities themselves to determine both their manpower and accommodation requirements. My right hon. Friend will make such orders as are necessary to transfer property which successor authorities need in order to carry out the functions they take over.