§ Lady Olga MaitlandTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he will publish the responses to his Department's consultation paper "Internal Management of Local Authorities in England", and whether he will make a statement.
§ Mr. HowardI have placed a list of the respondents in the Library of the House and have made copies of the responses available to the Library.
The consultation document produced a number of positive and interested reactions, and confirmed me in the view that there is scope for internal management changes which would make for better and more effective local government. I have today invited the three main local authority associations, the Audit Commission, Dr. Michael Clarke of the Local Government Management Board and Professor George Jones to join a working party chaired by my Department with a remit to:
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- Consider the suggestions for improving internal management arrangements in response to the consultation paper;
- consult individual authorities supporting new management models;
- work up detailed options suitable for trial by volunteering authorities, including adequate safeguards to protect minority parties and to secure value for money and propriety; and
- to draw up a list of any changes to primary and secondary legislation which would be needed to enable such experiments to take place.