HC Deb 18 October 1993 vol 230 cc39-41W
Mr. Salmond

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what financial provisions have been made in his Department's estimate of the cost of local government reorganisation for staff relocation and additional travel expenses as a result of transfer to one of the new authorities.

Mr. Stewart

Costs and travel expenses were both taken into account in the preparation of the costs estimates included in the White Paper "Shaping the Future—The

Mr. Salmond

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland which Scottish local authorities currently operate recycling schemes; if he will provide details of the kind of recycling programmes in operation in each local authority; how much central funding is available to assist with the financing of these recycling projects; and if he will make a statement.

Sir Hector Monro

The following 55 authorities have reported to the Department that they were participating in public sector recycling operations.

New Councils". In preparing these estimates the Government had regard to the evidence of the Touche Ross report on the costs and savings of reform and of other commentators on that report. The exact level of these costs will, however, ultimately depend upon decisions taken by individual local authorities.

Mr. Salmond

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) if he will list the names of those respondents who referred to joint arrangements in their submissions to "The Structure of Local Government in Scotland: Shaping the New Councils"(a) in total and (b) who were (i) in favour of them and (ii) opposed to them; and if he will provide a geographical breakdown of this information by regional, district and island authority area;

(2) if he will list the names of those organisations whose submissions to the consultation paper "The Structure of Local Government in Scotland: Shaping the New Councils" whose preferred local government structure for Scotland as a whole was (a) 15, (b) 24, (c) 35 and (d) 51 units; and if he will provide a breakdown of this information by regional, district and island authority area;

(3) if he will list the names of those respondents who referred to (a) local loyalties or community links, (b) local authority functions and (c) links with other bodies in their submissions to the consultation paper "The Structure of Local Government in Scotland: Shaping the New Councils"; and if he will provide a geographical breakdown of this information by regional, district and island authority area;

(4) if he will publish a list of the (a) voluntary organisations, (b) community councils, (c) local authorities, (d) business interests, (e) political associations, (f) trade unions and (g) individuals who submitted responses to the consultation paper "The Structure of Local Government in Scotland: Shaping the New Councils":, and if he will provide a geographical breakdown of this information by regional, district and island authority of origin;

(5) if he will list the names of those respondents to the consultation paper "The Structure of Local Government in Scotland: Shaping the New Councils" who were supportive of the proposal to reorganise Scottish local government into unitary authorities (a) at this time and (b) only in the context of a Scottish parliament; and if he will provide a geographical breakdown of this information by regional, district and island authority area.

Mr. Stewart

I shall write to the hon. Member and arrange for a copy of the letter to be placed in the Library of the House.

Mr. Salmond

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what time scale he envisages for the publication of guidance of local authorities on the requirement by them to devise plans showing how they will devolve responsibility within their organisations as part of the reorganisation of Scottish local government; and if he will make a statement;

(2) what plans he has to consult (a) local authorities, (b) trade unions, (c) community groups, (d) tenants' organisations and (e) the general public prior to the publication of guidance to local authorities on the requirement by them to devise plans showing how they intend to devolve responsibility within their organisations as a consequence of the reorganisation of Scottish local government.

Mr. Stewart

No final decisions have yet been taken on the timetable for the publication of guidance on decentralisation schemes. I propose to consult interested groups prior to issuing such guidance and I intend also that the legislation will require the new councils to consult widely during the preparation of their schemes.