§ Mr. SweeneyTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales what representations he received in response to his Department's letter of 7 April "Local Government Reorganisation: Lead Authorities for Certain Financial Matters"; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. RedwoodI received several representations on the arrangements for administering superannuation and Welsh Church Act funds from 1 April 1996; and on the closure of the accounts of district and county councils, including their residual loan debt and insurance matters.
I have considered all the representations carefully and have reached the conclusions set out in the three following tables, which will be given effect by secondary legislation in due course. In the case of superannuation funds, regulations will be made by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment.
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Table 1: Superannuation funds Current administering authority New administering new authorities Covering areas of following authority Clwyd Flintshire Flintshire, Denbighshire, Wrexham Dyfed Carmarthenshire Carmarthenshire, Cardiganshire, Pembrokeshire Gwent Torfaen Torfaen, Blaenau Gwent, Caerphilly, Monmouthshire, Newport Gwynedd Caernarfonshire and Merionethshire Caernarfonshire and Merionethshire, Aberconwy and Colwyn, Anglesey Mid Glamorgan Rhondda, Cynon, Taff Rhondda, Cynon, Taff, Bridgend, Merthyr Tydfil Powys Powys Powys South Glamorgan Cardiff Cardiff, The Vale of Glamorgan West Glamorgan Swansea Swansea, Neath and Port Talbot
Table 2: Welsh Church Act fluids Each of the new authorities will be vested with and responsible for administering its own Welsh Church Act fund, except in the following cases: Current administering authority New authority to be vested with fund Covering areas of following new authorities Gwent Monmouthshire Monmouthshire, Blaenau-Gwent, Caerphilly, Newport, Torfaen Mid Glamorgan Rhondda, Cynon, Taff, Rhondda, Cynon, Taff, Bridgend, Merthyr Tydfil South Glamorgan The Vale of Glamorgan The Vale of Glamorgan, Cardiff Note:
While the funds would be vested in the three authorities listed in the second column, it would not prevent the other authorities listed in the third column from taking decisions about how to apply income from the funds, whether jointly or individually.
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Table 3: Closure of accounts (includes responsibility for residual loan debt and insurance matters) New authority to close accounts of Aberconwy and Colwyn Aberconwy, Colwyn Anglesey Anglesey Blaenau Gwent Blaenau Gwent Bridgend Ogwr Caernarfonshire and Merionethshire Arfon, Dwyfor, Meirionnydd, Gwynedd Caerphilly Islwyn, Rhymney Valley Cardiff Cardiff, South Glamorgan Cardiganshire Ceredigion Carmarthenshire Carmarthen, Dinefwr, Llanelli, Dyfed Denbighshire Rhuddlan, Glyndwr Flintshire Delyn, Alyn and Deeside, Clwyd Merthyr Tydfil Merthyr Tydfil Monmouthshire Monmouth Neath and Port Talbot Neath, Port Talbot Newport Newport, Gwent Pembrokeshire Preseli Pembrokeshire, South Pembrokeshire Powys Brecknock, Radnorshire, Montgomeryshire, Powys Rhondda, Cynon, Taff Cynon Valley, Taff Ely, Rhondda, Mid Glamorgan Swansea Swansea, Lliw Valley, West Glamorgan Torfaen Torfaen
Table 3: Closure of accounts (includes responsibility for residual loan debt and insurance matters) New authority to close accounts of The Vale of Glamorgan Vale of Glamorgan Wrexham Wrexham Maelor