HC Deb 23 November 1995 vol 267 c307W
Mr. Donohoe

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many appointments to quangos in Scotland he intends to review in response to the reform of local government in Scotland in April 1996; and what plans he has to issue instructions to non-departmental public bodies asking them to review their membership in respect of local government reform. [1189]

Mr. George Kynoch

There are no plans to review appointments made by my right hon. Friend to public bodies as a result of local government reform. As a general rule members of public bodies, i.e. nationalised industries, non-departmental public bodies and NHS bodies listed in the annual Cabinet Office publication "Public Bodies", are appointed as individuals and not as representatives of any particular interest group. Similarly there are no plans to ask non-departmental public bodies to review their membership in the light of local government reform. My right hon. Friend will continue to give full opportunities to members of local authorities to serve on public bodies, as recent experience with the new water and sewerage authorities and Customers Council has demonstrated.

Mr. Donohoe

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what measures his Department has taken to ensure that financial subsidy from the new unitary councils will be given to facilitate the continuing operation of the rail services operated by ScotRail within Strathclyde following local government reform. [1741]

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton

The Scottish Office will continue to provide funding through aggregate external finance for local authorities' current expenditure, including rail services in the Strathclyde area, from I April 1996.