§ Mr. Tony Banksasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list all functions and responsibilities currently undertaken by any central division or organisation within his Department which is concerned with local authority services solely within the Greater London area, stating the total estimated cost to public funds in 1986–87 and the total number of officials involved.
§ Mr. ChopeThe divisions within my Department's central headquarters have no responsibilities or functions that relate solely to local authority services within the greater London area.
§ Mr. Tony Banksasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list all regional or sub-regional outposts of his Department responsible for functions or services within the Greater London area, stating the functions and responsibilities of such outposts and giving the total cost of such offices to public funds in 1986–87 and the total number of officials involved.
§ Mr. ChopeThe Department's greater London regional office's main functions lie in the fields of housing, planning, the urban programme, land registers and derelict land, together with liaison with the London Docklands Development Corporation and the London Residuary Body. Staff in post total 128. The estimated costs for 1986–87 are about £2,317,000.
§ Mr. Tony Banksasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the additional functions and responsibilities undertaken by his Department of a temporary or permanent kind as a result of the abolition of the Greater London council, stating the total estimated cost to public funds in 1986–87 and the total number of officials involved.
§ Mr. ChopeThe Local Government Act 1985 conferred on my right hon. Friend a number of duties, controls and powers, including those in relation to the London Residuary Body and other successor authorities. However, the main specific responsibilities undertaken by my right hon. Friend as a direct result of the abolition of the Greater London council are
the laying before Parliament of a report in February 1986 on the transfer of functions related to the protection and enjoyment of the countryside, under Section 7 of the 1985 Act.the initial preparation of strategic guidance under Schedule I to the 1985 Act.The estimated cost, including accommodation and overheads, during 1986–87 of the six staff that were engaged on the above functions at one time or another is about £55,000.
Staff time devoted to a number of abolition matters in London cannot readily be distinguished from that spent on abolition in all metropolitan counties, with which I am dealing in a separate answer.
§ Mr. Tony Banksasked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what action he has taken since the abolition of the Greater London council to ensure that the functions and responsibilities of his Department and its related non-departmental public bodies dealing with the Greater London area are co-ordinated with each other;
(2) if he will make a statement on measures adopted by the Department of the Environment since the abolition of 382W the Greater London council to ensure that the functions and responsibilities of that Department and its related non-departmental public bodies dealing with the Greater London area are co-ordinated with those of other departments and their related bodies in London matters.
§ Mr. ChopeThe Department, other departments and quasi-autonomous non-governmental organisations consult each other as appropriate on matters of mutual concern.