§ Mr. Tom ArnoldTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what timetable he envisages for implementing the recommendations of the Local Government Boundary Commission.
§ Mr. Heathcoat-AmoryMy right hon. Friend must allow a period of at least six weeks to elapse after he has778W received a report from the Local Government Boundary Commission for England. Usually a longer period is allowed in which the public can make representations about the report. When he decides to implement recommendations put to him by the commission it is his usual practice to put them into effect, with or without modification, from 1 April of the year following his decision. In a few cases a longer period has been allowed because of the magnitude of the changes, or because the decision has been announced only shortly before 1 April.
In the current programme statutory reviews of London and the metropolitan counties, the commission is required to complete its reviews by 31 March 1992. The commission has not yet made any recommendations on these reviews to my right hon. Friend, but I understand that it expects to begin to do so in the latter half of this year.