Lord Winstanleyasked Her Majesty's Government:
What is their estimate of the savings (a) to public funds, and (b) to ratepayers, achieved by the abolition of the Metropolitan County Councils.
§ The Minister of State, Department of the Environment (Lord Belstead)The functions which successor authorities have inherited from the former metropolitan county councils (MCCs) have, in large measure, been amalgamated with their pre-abolition functions. The data which my right honourable friend the Secretary of State for the Environment receives from those authorities does not therefore separately identify expenditure incurred on their inherited functions. The Government estimate that long-term savings to ratepayers of some £100 million per annum will result from staff savings following abolition. About half these savings will be as a direct result of the abolition of the MCCs. The residuary bodies established to wind up the affairs of the abolished county councils estimate that some £128 million of MCC closing revenue balances, and some £26 million capital receipts arising from their own disposals of surplus capital assets, will be available for distribution to all rating authorities in the MCC areas by 31st March 1988.