§ Dr. Cunninghamasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if, in the light of his announcement of 6 February, Official Report, column 957, of an inquiry into the practices and procedures in local government, he will prepare and place in the Library a paper outlining the current rights, responsibilities and duties of elected members as referred to in paragraph (a) of the terms of reference of the inquiry; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Patrick Jenkin[pursuant to his reply, 18 March 1985, c. 376]: I have today placed in the Library copies of a joint submission on political organisation in local government made by my Department, The Scottish Office and the Welsh Office to the Widdicombe inquiry. We propose to submit shortly two further papers on the roles of members and officers in local government and on local authorities' use of their discretionary spending powers. These, too, will be placed in the Library in due course.