HC Deb 22 March 1991 vol 188 cc242-3W
Mr. Michael Morris

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will seek to ensure that the district auditor of Northampton borough council makes public his report into the Northampton employment and training unit.

Mr. Key

Except in certain specified circumstances, the appointed auditor is prohibited by section 30 of the Local Government Finance Act 1982 from disclosing information obtained pursuant to his duties, and the Secretary of State has no powers to set aside that prohibition. However, when such a report comes to be formally considered by the authority it will, in effect, be made public under the provisions of section 18(5) of that Act. If the Local Government Finance (Publicity for Auditors' Reports) Bill were to be enacted, auditors' immediate reports in the public interest would be made public immediately upon receipt by the authority.

Mr. Ashby

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many council homes have been sold in the constituency of Leicestershire, North-West including Shepshed.

Mr. Yeo

[holding answer 21 March 1991]: Information is not available for sales by parliamentary constituency. A table showing the available information on sales for each English local authority since April 1979 was recently placed in the Library (Official Report, volume 184, column 542).