§ Mr. RendelTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the last date by which the orders for750W structural change must be laid before the House in order for elections to take place for the successor unitary authorities in May 1996; and what is the anticipated date that the Government expect to lay the order for structural change before the House in respect of (i) Leicester city, (ii) Rutland district council, (iii) Nottingham city, (iv) Plymouth city, (v) Torbay borough council, (vi) Wokingham district council, (vii) Newbury district council, (viii) Reading city, (ix) Windsor and Maidenhead district council, (x) Slough borough council, (xi) Bracknell Forest district council, (xii) Southend on Sea borough council, (xiii) Herefordshire, (xiv) The Wrekin district council, (xv) Thurrock borough council, (xvi) Northampton borough council, (xvii) Halton borough council, (xviii) Warrington borough council, (xix) Peterborough city, (xx) Dartford and Gravesham borough councils, (xxi) Gillingham borough council and Rochester/Medway city, (xxii) Blackburn borough council and (xxiii) Blackpool borough council. [41950]
§ Mr. CurryThere is no statutory requirement to lay structural change orders by a particular date. However, given the requirements governing the publication of the notice of election in the Local Elections (Principal Areas) Rules 1986 along with the administrative needs of the returning officer, we consider that an order should be made not less than two months before the date of the election to which it relates.
For all those districts which are the subject of fresh reviews by the Local Government Commission—xiv-xxviii—whether or not there will be an order to be laid will of course depend on the commission's final recommendations and the Government's response to them. For the others, there are outstanding issues such as judicial review in the case of Berkshire or the fact that the commission is examining the further case for unitary structures in certain counties. We aim to lay these orders before Parliament during the new Session once these various matters are resolved.