HL Deb 24 March 2003 vol 646 cc57-8WA
Lord Acton

asked Her Majesty's Government:

When they propose to consult on the cost model they are developing to assist the Boundary Committee for England to assess the relative cost differential of different patterns of unitary government in the regions. [HL2264]

Lord Rooker

In December, the Government published for consultation a draft of the guidance that we intend to give the Boundary Committee for England in the event that we direct it to carry out local government reviews in any of the English regions.

The draft guidance indicated that for the purpose of assessing the relative cost differential of different unitary structures of local government, we would develop a cost model which would be made available to the boundary committee and others should they choose to use it. We said that we would consult on any model before it was finalised. Accordingly, I have today sent a paper with details of the work undertaken for us by PricewaterhouseCoopers to the Local Government Association (LGA), the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accounting (CIPFA) and the Boundary Committee for England. This sets out proposals for a model which we will be discussing with those bodies.

I am placing copies of the paper in the Libraries of the House.