§ Mr. Hunterasked the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to make a scheme under the provisions of section 59(3) of the Local Government Act 1985; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. TraceyMy right hon. Friend has now made the scheme promised in the announcement made by my noble Friend the Minister of Planning and Regional Affairs on 13 November 1985, at columns 379–87, in another place. Full details of the scheme — the Government Reorganisation (Reduction of Redundancy Payment Cases) Scheme 1986 — are being published with guidance notes in a joint circular (DOES/86: SDD6/86: W013/86) issued today. The circular, issued by my Department, and the Scottish and Welsh Offices, is addressed to all local authorities in England, Scotland and Wales, and to the residuary bodies which were established under the Local Government Act 1985 to wind up the affairs of the GLC and the six metropolitan county councils. I am arranging for copies to be placed in the Library.
The scheme implements the decisions which were summarised in the announcement made on 13 November and communicated to the main interested parties at that time. It is designed to stimulate the creation of additional job opportunities for GLC and MCC employees by encouraging local authorities at large to allow some of 556W their own employees to retire early and to fill the vacancies so created by recruiting GLC or MCC employees who might otherwise be left redundant at abolition.
The Government hope that authorities will make full use of the scheme, thereby retaining the experience and expertise of such officers in local government and minimising redundancies.