HC Deb 25 February 1987 vol 111 c262W
Mr. Straw

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what information is available to him on the party political control of local authorities.

Dr. Boyson

That available in publications such as the "Municipal Year Book" and the statistical digests of local authority election results published by Plymouth polytechnic, together with that gathered by the Department from the press and in the course of its normal dealings with local authorities. In addition, research on the political organisation of local authorities was carried out for the Widdicombe inquiry into the conduct of local authority business (see Cmnd. 9798, research volume 1).