§ Mr. David MitchellTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish a list of the extra responsibilities placed by national Government on to local government except for education for each of the two years ended 5 April and his best estimate of the cost of compliance to local government.
§ Mr. ChopeThe major new burdens, other than those relating to education, falling to local government in 1990–91 include: community charge collection, the implementation of the Children Act, new initiatives in waste disposal management, and the structural maintenance of bridges after existing EC derogation in respect of lorry weights ends in 1999.
The major new burden, other than those burdens relating to education, falling to local authorities in 1989–90 was preparation for the introduction of the community charge.
The best estimates of the costs of these burdens plus savings resulting from improvements in efficiency or the removal of responsibilities, such as the ending of the rating system, were taken into account, along with all the other relevant factors, when we made the settlements for 1989–90 and 1990–91.