asked the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to complete his consultations on the reorganisation of local government; and if he will make a statement.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment when he now expects to publish his proposals for the reform of local government.

My right hon. Friend will make a statement as soon as possible.

Will the consultations include not only the local authority associations, which are of one mind with the Government, at the moment, but also organisations such as the National Association of Local Government Officers and the National Union of Teachers, whose members' careers will be affected by this and who may be considered in the future as possible candidates in local elections?

My right hon. Friend and I will welcome consultations with anyone interested in this subject. It is intended to publish a White Paper in the New Year and to follow that with consultations, as I say, with anyone interested in the subject.

Will my hon. Friend make it clear that it will be a two-tier system throughout the country and that he is not prepared to accept representations to any opposite effect at this stage?

I would ask by hon. Friend to await the full statement in the White Paper.

Can the Minister assure us that in any reorganisation proposals the Government will not depart from the principle laid down by the previous Administration of appointing a staffing commission to look after the interests of local government officers who may well be affected by the proposals?

Certainly. Any proposals for reorganisation will take into account the position of the present staffs of local authorities.

Is my hon. Friend aware of the growing concern in parts of Lancashire and Cheshire at the original proposals for a metropolitan authority based on Manchester? Can he assure us that the existence of the S.E.L.N.E.C. Passenger Transport Authority will not be taken as a precedent for future local government areas?

The existence of that passenger transport authority goes rather wide of the Question on the Order Paper. I ask my hon. Friend to put down a separate Question on that.

Can the hon. Gentleman say what is the purpose of these consultations when he and his right hon. Friend the Secretary of State have already made it perfectly clear that they believe in a two-tier county/county district system? Have not they made up their minds on the fundamentals before even beginning the consultations?

There have ben many consultations on this subject up to the present. The White Paper will set out fairly firmly the Government's views about reorganisation. But there will be many months of discussion following that statement of the Government's policy. At least we shall be laying down what we think. It will then be open to discussion.