§ Ms ShortTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) if he will make a statement on the role of local authorities in the operation of markets;
(2) what plans he has to abolish market franchise rights.
§ Mr. CurryThe Deregulation Bill published today includes provision for the abolition of the rights of local authorities which own market franchises to object to any proposal to establish a new market within a six-mile radius of their own.
§ Ms ShortTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will meet representatives of the National Association of British Market Authorities to discuss the abolition of market franchise rights.
§ Mr. CurryMinisters will be happy to meet representatives of this association to discuss our proposals for legislation on this issue.
§ Ms ShortTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many responses his Department has received in response to the consultative paper on market franchise rights; how many of the responses were in favour of the proposal and how many opposed; and if he will place them in the Library.
§ Mr. CurryThe Government have received a total of 2,322 individual responses to this consultation document, of which 273 supported our proposal. The categories of responses received and the numbers in each category were as follows:
Support Oppose Neutral Local authorities 8 174 2 Market traders 240 1,568 — Others (including consumer groups and private individuals) 25 340 8 Copies of the responses from those bodies that agreed that their comments could be made public will be deposited in the Library as soon as possible.
§ Mr. CorbettTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) if he will list the names of the organisations which responded to the consultation paper of 16 August on market franchise rights;
(2) if he will place in the Library copies of responses to the Government's consultation paper of 16 August on market franchise rights;
(3) how many responses he has received in response to the consultation paper of 16 August on market franchise rights; how many supported the proposal; and how many opposed it;
(4) if he will meet representatives of the National Association of British Market Authorities before he comes to a conclusion on the future of market franchise rights;
(5) if it is his intention to include the future of market franchise rights in the forthcoming Deregulation and Contracting Out Bill.
§ Mr. Curry[holding answer 16 December 1993]: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave earlier today to the hon. Member for Birmingham, Ladywood (Ms Short).
565W