HC Deb 06 May 1987 vol 115 cc458-60W
Mr. Tony Banks

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) if he will give details of consents sought by residuary bodies for disposal of land or buildings for less than the best price offered;

(2) if he will give details of all applications for the acquisition of land made to his Department by residuary bodies since their establishment.

Mr. Chope

I shall answer these questions shortly.

Mr. Tony Banks

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will give details of all applications to borrow money made to his Department by residuary bodies, and for what purposes.

Mr. Chope

The Department has received various inquiries from residuary bodies about the circumstances in which borrowing approval would be available. The following formal applications were made in 1986–87.

Body Purpose Amount approved
London
Greater Manchester Inherited capital liabilites for Central Station £3,000,000
Other inherited capital liabilities £1,500,000
Merseyside Staff compensation No limit specified (approval has not been exercised)
Recreating County Council cash book balances No limit specified (up to £7,000,000 believed to have been borrowed)
Refinancing County Council car loans £300,000
Other capital liabilities Not approved
South Yorkshire Staff compensation £2,475,812
Tyne and Wear Various inhertied capital liabilities £2,550,000
West Midlands
West Yorkshire Staff compensation No limit specified (approval has not been exercised)
Various capital liabilities Not approved

No formal applications have been made in 1987–88.

Mr. Tony Banks

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will identify the county halls currently awaiting disposal by residuary bodies following the abolition of the Greater London council and the metropolitan county councils.

Mr. Chope

Residuary bodies are marketing their respective interests in the county halls for the former Greater London council, West Yorkshire county council, Greater Manchester county council, Merseyside county council, Tyne and Wear county council and West Midlands county council.

Mr. Tony Banks

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will give details of additions and removals of residuary body members since their establishment after abolition of the Greater London council and metropolitan county councils.

Mr. Chope

Mr. Philip Carter was appointed to the Merseyside residuary body on 21 December 1986. There have been no other changes in the membership of the residuary bodies since the abolition of the Greater London council and the metropolitan county councils.

Mr. Tony Banks

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will give details of all directions issued to residuary bodies in respect of the recovery of sums from local authorities received in contravention of section 91 of and schedule 15 to the Local Government Act 1985.

Mr. Chope

No such directions have been issued.

Mr. Tony Banks

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will give details of all directions issued by his Department to residuary bodies in respect of land and buildings.

Mr. Chope

None has been issued.