§ Mr. Tony Banksasked the Secretary of State for the Environment which voluntary organisations are, to his knowledge, opposing abolition of the Greater London council because they have become too dependent on the Greater London council for financial support as indicated in his speech to the annual general meeting of the National Council for Voluntary Organisations on 12 November.
§ Sir George YoungI shall answer this question shortly.
§ Mr. Tony Banksasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what are the Government's intentions for the future of County hall in the event of the abolition of the Greater London council.
§ Sir George YoungInitially, ownership of County hall will pass to the London residuary body; consideration is being given to a variety of possible uses thereafter.
§ Mr. Tony Banksasked the Secretary of State for the Environment how, in the event of the abolition of the Greater London council, members of the London residuary body appointed by him will be accountable for their administration of the Greater London council superannuation fund to the participating bodies which are required to make up any actuarial deficiencies on the fund and to account for them.
§ Sir George YoungIn the administration of the superannuation fund the London residuary body will be subject to the local government superannuation regulations in the same way as other administering authorities.
§ Mr. Tony Banksasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what arrangements will be made in the event of the abolition of the Greater London council for the continued protection of the superannuation entitlements of those staff who were transferred to the London borough councils in 1965, and whose protected rights as former London county council and Middlesex county council contributors have been administered by the Greater London council.
§ Sir George YoungAs stated in the White Paper "Streamlining the Cities" all existing pension rights will be fully safeguarded.
§ Mr. Tony Banksasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what arrangements will be made in the event of the abolition of the Greater London council for the review of existing payments and the assessment of the new awards in respect of pre-abolition accidents under part Q of the local government superannuation regulations 1974 to 1984 and under the provisions of the London Government Act 1963.
§ Sir George YoungThe London residuary body will be given power to continue payment where awards have 313W been made by the GLC. It will also be able to make an award in any case which has not been finalised by the abolition date.
§ Mr. Tony Banksasked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether, in the event of the abolition of the Greater London council, the superannuation affairs of all employing bodies currently admitted as members of the Greater London council superannuation fund will continue to be administered as part of a single superannuation fund managed by the residuary body.
§ Sir George YoungYes.
§ Mr. Tony Banksasked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether, in the event of the Greater London council being abolished, the strategic planning guidance he proposes to issue to the London boroughs will include any quantified allocation of land and development at borough level.
§ Mr. MacfarlaneThe content of such guidance will be determined following advice from the proposed London planning commission.
§ Mr. Tony Banksasked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether, in assessing the costs and savings arising from abolition of the Greater London council, the Government have taken into account the additional costs arising from the extra lines of communication between each London borough.
§ Sir George YoungThe Government's estimates of savings in the explanatory and financial memorandum to the Local Government Bill are broad assessments and are naturally subject to decisions by successor authorities about the operation of the services they inherit.
§ Mr. Tony Banksasked the Secretary of State for the Environment which body, in the event of the abolition of the Greater London council, will be the administering authority, for the purposes of the local government superannuation regulations, in relation to the existing beneficiaries of the council's superannuation fund.
§ Sir George YoungAll functions of the Greater London council as an administering authority under the local government superannuation regulations will become functions of the London residuary body.
§ Mr. Tony Banksasked the Secretary of State for the Environment who, in the event of the abolition of the Greater London council, will meet the costs currently levied on the council in respect of discretionary superannuation compensation powers which have already been exercised on behalf of retired staff; and how such charges will be apportioned.
§ Sir George YoungThe existing liabilities of the Greater London council for compensation payments in respect of their retired staff will be transferred to the London residuary body. That body will recover the costs through a levy on the rating authorities in London, the amount being apportioned by reference to their population levels.
§ Mr. Tony Banksasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what arrangements will be made, in the event of the abolition of the Greater London council, for the uprating and payment of deferred superannuation benefits awarded by the council to former contributors to its superannuation fund.
314W
§ Sir George YoungClause 57 of the Bill provides that the London residuary body will assume all existing liabilities of the GLC superannuation fund.
§ Mr. Tony Banksasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if, in the event of the abolition of the Greater London council, arrangements will be made to recompense the council's superannuation fund for any adverse effect on its investment performance that may result from having to sell investments or maintain a level of liquidity above that required for investment management in order to facilitate and fund apportionments in respect of Greater London council staff transferred to other bodies.
§ Sir George YoungNo. These payments will be spread over a considerable period after the abolition date, and there is no reason why they should affect the investment performance of the fund.
§ Mr. Tony Banksasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will ensure that the statutory housing improvement areas declared by the Greater London council continue in the event of the Greater London council being abolished.
§ Sir George YoungI refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 25 October, at column696.
§ Mr. Tony Banksasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is Her Majesty's Government's policy in the event of the abolition of the Greater London council, on grant-related expenditure assessments for those boroughs which inherit a rate burden greater than current expenditure levels approved by the Government.
§ Mr. WaldegraveThe grant-related expenditure the GLC would have received for those services transferred to the lower tier will, following abolition, be redistributed among the London boroughs.
§ Mr. Tony Banksasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what arrangements are proposed, in the event of the abolition of the Greater London council, for the analysis and monitoring on a consistent basis of planning decisions across London.
§ Mr. MacfarlaneMy Department will continue to monitor planning performance. It will be for the London boroughs to decide collectively whether they wish to monitor the content of decisions.
§ Mr. Tony Banksasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what arrangements are proposed for the London-wide appraisal of development applications involving high buildings in the event of the abolition of the Greater London council.
§ Mr. MacfarlaneNone. They will continue as now to be dealt with on their merits by the London boroughs.
§ Mr. Tony Banksasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will provide a breakdown of the Government's estimate of £120 million savings in the event of the abolition of the Greater London council and metropolitan counties.
§ Sir George YoungMy right hon. Friend has explained the Government's estimate of savings in the explanatory and financial memorandum to the Local Government Bill.
315W
§ Mr. Tony Banksasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if any Greater London council housing functions are to be transferred to quangos in the event of the Greater London council being abolished.
§ Sir George YoungThe London residuary body will assume the GLC's interest in personal mortagages for home purchase and improvement, with a view to refinancing by the private sector; certain of the GLC's rights or liabilities to payment under the housing transfer orders and in respect of certain nomination rights; and the GLC's liabilities under town development schemes and certain warranties.
§ Mr. Tony Banksasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what administrative and financial benefits will accrue from his proposals for housing mobility in the even of the Greater London council being abolished.
§ Sir George YoungOur overall estimate of the savings to be generated by abolition is set out in the explanatory and financial memorandum to the Local Government Bill.