Abolition of GLC and Metropolitan County Councils

Part of Orders of the Day — Local Government Bill (Clause 1) – in the House of Commons at 8:45 pm on 13 December 1984.

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Photo of Mr Kenneth Baker Mr Kenneth Baker , Mole Valley 8:45, 13 December 1984

Only fleetingly have the amendments under discussion been touched on in the past three quarters of an hour, and I am not in the least surprised about that, because on two amendments the Labour party has not voted when opportunities have been provided for it to vote to keep the GLC and the metropolitan counties. On those two crucial amendments, they abstained.

We have made it clear from the outset that we intend the abolition of these authorities to take place on 1 April 1986. This was stated in the White Paper and the Bill has been introduced, as promised, early in this Session in line with the timetable that we proposed.

The hon. Members for St. Helens, South (Mr. Bermingham), for Liverpool, West Derby (Mr. Wareing) and for Tooting (Mr. Cox) have argued that more time is needed to put our plans into effect, but I do not agree. The boroughs and districts are already fully functioning local authorities—this contrasts with the situation in 1963–65 and 1972–74 when all the successor bodies were new authorities created by the Bill. Thus, the bodies taking over most of the tasks of the GLC and MCCs are in place and can begin planning for the transfer from an early stage. The fact that some of them are not doing so at the moment is regrettable, but I am sure that all authorities will be able to make adequate preparations for the changeover.

The new joint authorities will be formally in place from September 1985, with adequate time to prepare their budgets for 1986. Again, there is nothing to prevent the borough and district members who make up those authorities from meeting at an earlier stage to give preliminary thought to their needs.

Labour Members are proposing amendments that would introduce unnecessary delay and increase uncertainty for the staff concerned. The GLC and the MCCs would no doubt continue their obstructionist behaviour. If they were given another year to live, we should have to submit to yet another year's advertising from Mr. Livingstone, and another £10 million or ratepayers' money being wasted. My hon. Friends would not accept that. The timetable that was set out is workable, so I ask my hon. Friends to reject these amendments.