Residuary Bodies (Hansard, 31 October 1989)

§ Mrs. Peacock
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to lay before Parliament the 1988–89 annual reports and accounts of the London and metropolitan residuary bodies; and if he will make a statement.

§ Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
The 1988–89 annual reports and statements of accounts of the London and metropolitan residuary bodies were laid before Parliament today. A copy of the Secretary of State's direction under section 78(2) of the Local Government Act 1985 as to the content and structure of the accounts has been placed in the Library of the House.
The residuary bodies' reports provide continuing evidence of the considerable progress which they have made in discharging the responsibilities they inherited from the Greater London council and the metropolitan county councils. Among other achievements in 1988–89, over £314 million in capital receipts were realised from sales of surplus property, the benefits of which are being distributed to the local authorities.

§ Mr. Favell
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when the Greater Manchester residuary body will complete its work and be wound up; and if he will make a statement.

§ Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
The Greater Manchester residuary body was formally dissolved today. During the three and a half years since abolition the record of the residuary body has been impressive. It has sold or transferred to the successor dstrict authorities 10,650 former county council property interests and distributed £12.25 million of capital receipts to the local authorities.
There will be further amounts to come from sales which have not yet reached completion. This is in addition to the distribution of some £55 million in revenue balances.
The Greater Manchester residuary body is the third of the seven residuary bodies to wind up. The RB inherited a very considerable number of property interests, rights and liabilities from the former Greater Manchester county council, not least those in respect of the Greater Manchester exhibition centre (GMEX). That these have been disposed of with the full co-operation of all the successor authorities is a credit to all concerned.
The order under section 67 of the Local Government Act 1985 transferred the remainder of the residuary body's property functions, rights and liabilities to the city of Manchester and the metropolitan boroughs and districts of Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Salford, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, and Wigan on 31 August 1989.
The Greater Manchester residuary body inherited a particularly wide and complex range of tasks. I am grateful to the chairman, board and staff for discharging this task of winding up the affairs of the former Greater Manchester metropolitan county council with such efficiency and dispatch. Their final report is being laid before Parliament today.