§ Mr. MaclennanTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has to extend the jurisdiction of the Commissioner for Local Administration in Scotland to those local authority services and statutory responsibilities which are transferred to private companies or other bodies; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. StewartAlthough the Commissioner has no jurisdiction over the activities of private companies or other bodies undertaking local authorities' statutory duties or other services, the ultimate responsibility for the provision of such services remains with local authorities. Where a local authority has a statutory duty to provide a service, it cannot divest itself of that duty. It is therefore not necessary to extend the jurisdiction of the Commissioner to cover these circumstances. The Government will continue to review the Commissioner's powers in the light of any new factors which arise.