HC Deb 27 July 1999 vol 336 cc356-7W
Miss Melanie Johnson

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he will confirm the arrangements he intends to follow to implement the periodic electoral review recommendations of the Local government Commission for England; and if he will make a statement. [93804]

Ms Armstrong

We have now considered the responses to the consultation, which I announced on 10 March 1999,Official Report, column 244, on proposals for implementing periodic electoral reviews (PERs).

Our intention remains to implement the recommendations of the Local Government Commission for England as soon as practicable on a normal election date for councils. Our consultation has shown that there is no consensus on holding additional elections to implement PERs, and we have concluded that it would not be desirable to do so.

Accordingly, we intend to implement the Commission's recommendations as follows. For district councils that hold whole council elections and where final recommendations are received by July 2002, implementation is to be on the normal election day in May 2003. For district councils that elect by thirds, where final recommendations have already been received, implementation is to be on the normal election day in May 2000; where final recommendations are received between August 1999 and 2001, implementation is to be on the normal election day in May 2002; and where final recommendations are received no later than July 2002 on the normal election day in May 2003.

The Commission's recommendations for a county council are to be implemented only after recommendations have been made and implemented for all the district councils in a county area. Subject to this, where final recommendations for county councils are received no later than July 2000, they are to be implemented on the normal election day in May 2001; Subsequent final recommendations are to be implemented on the normal election day in 2005.

I am asking the Local Government Commission to consider their programme of PERs having regard to our intended approach to implementation and with a view to ensuring that all councils in England will have updated electoral arrangements in place by 2005.