HC Deb 24 March 1994 vol 240 c394W
Mr. Nigel Jones

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many members of the public have sought a reference back to the Local Government Commission in(a) Gloucestershire and (b) Somerset.

Mr. Baldry

Seven members of the public wrote to my right hon. Friend asking for a further review of Gloucestershire; and, to date, three have written in support of a further review of Somerset.

Mr. Nigel Jones

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many representations he received from(a) local authorities including local councils and (b) members of the public, concerning the Local Government Commission's recommendations for the future of local government in Gloucestershire; and how many of those two groups (i) supported the Local Government Commission's recommendations or (ii) supported refer-ence back.

Mr. Baldry

My right hon. Friend received 67 representations from principal local authorities and local councils. Eight were opposed to the main recommendation. Three district councils asked for a further review, as did the Gloucestershire branch of the Association of District Councils. A total of 36 representations were received from members of the public. Twenty-one supported the main recommendation, while it was opposed by 15, seven of whom asked for a further review.

Mr. Dafis

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make public the letters from local authorities in Gloucestershire asking for a reference back to the Local Government Commission.

Mr. Baldry

I have arranged for copies of the relevant letters to be placed in the Library.