§ Mr. Fatchettasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will outline his present proposals for servicing the police, fire and public transport joint boards should the metropolitan counties be abolished.
§ Mr. WaldegraveThis will be for the boards themselves to determine, subject to the need to comply with the transitional manpower controls.
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§ Mr. Fatchettasked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether, should Cmnd. 9063 be implemented, a metropolitan district council will have the right to challenge a charge made upon it by the residuary body appointed by him to wind up the metropolitan county affairs.
§ Mr. WaldegraveNo. The Bill to effect the abolition of the Greater London council and the metropolitan county councils, which my right hon. Friend will shortly present to the House, will make appropriate provision for the audit of the residuary bodies, for the questioning of the auditor, and for the inspection of their accounts.
§ Mr. Fatchettasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the bodies representative of the minerals industry interests which have indiacted their support for his proposals to transfer the minerals planning function to district councils in the event of the implementation of Cmnd. 9063.
§ Mr. MacfarlaneI refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Newham, North-West (Mr. Banks) on 25 October at c.695.
§ Mr. Fatchettasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what estimates have been made of the immediate direct and indirect effects in the event of the abolition of the metropolitan county councils on the numbers in employment in each of the towns or cities in which they presently have their main office complexes.
§ Mr. WaldegraveNo such estimate is possible at this stage.
§ Mr. Fatchettasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he intends mineral planning and waste disposal to continue to be administered on a county-wide basis in the present metropolitan county areas if the county councils for those areas are abolished.
§ Mr. MacfarlaneNo. Minerals planning and waste disposal will become the responsibility of the metropolitan district councils following abolition of the metropolitan county councils. On land use planning (including minerals), regional strategic guidance may be issued after consultation with the district councils in each area and neighbouring county councils. On waste regulation and disposal, district councils are expected to establish joint arrangements for the co-ordinated discharge of these functions. The Secretary of State will take a reserve power to establish statutory joint arrangements if he is not satisfied that those made by district councils are adequate.
§ Mr. Fatchettasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has to continue the present programmes of West Yorkshire metropolitan county council and the Greater Manchester county council to find alternative uses for disused mills in the event of the abolition of these authorities.
§ Sir George YoungThe metropolitan districts already have access to the necessary resources, including derelict land grant and the urban programme, to develop alternative uses for disused mills. In the near future, European regional development fund non-quota grants will also be available. After abolition, the authorities will be free to take over any programmes being undertaken by West Yorkshire metropolitan county council or Greater Manchester county council, if they wish to do so.
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§ Mr. Fatchettasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has any plans to introduce rates equalisation schemes between metropolitan district councils in each metropolitan county, in the event of the abolition of the councils of those counties.
§ Mr. WaldegraveNo. I am satisfied that after the proposed abolition of the metropolitan county councils the block grant system will continue to achieve equalisation of rateable resources in the metropolitan areas.