§ Mr. KirkwoodTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment in what circumstances it is his Department's practice, when issuing a public consultation document, to inform those consulted that their responses will be made public unless they explicitly ask for them to be kept confidential; and if he will arrange for his Department to do so in all cases in future.
§ Mr. BaldryIt is normal practice in the Department of the Environment, except in relation to some detailed technical consultations, technical exercises by Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution and the London consultation exercise where respondents were informed
342Wmany council properties have been vacated as a result of the scheme in these areas during this period; and if he will make a statement on the long-term future of the scheme.
§ Sir George YoungThe tables show the resources allocated to the cash incentive scheme in each of these London boroughs, along with the resources actually spent and the number of vacancies created, since the scheme was introduced in 1989.
The cash incentive scheme is a cost-effective housing measure which enables local auathorities to improve the supply of affordable housing for rent to people in need, and at the same time assists households to buy a home of their own. We will continue to encourage local authorities to operate a scheme.
that their names and addreses would be treated in confidence, to inform those consulted that all responses may be made publicly available unless respondents have requested that their comments should be treated as confidential.