§ Ms. Quinasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what consultations the Government have had with local authorities in England and Wales concerning the introduction of the community charge.
§ Mr. Howard454 local authorities and associated bodies in England responded to the Green Paper "Paying for Local Government" (Cmnd. 9714). There have been discussions with the local authority associations in the Consultative Council on Local Government Finance and in a working group of officials set up under the auspices of CCLGF. My Department also has frequent contacts with individual local authorities, at both ministerial and official level, about the community charge.
I understand that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales has conducted similar consultations with Welsh local authorities.