asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he has any plans to announce a moratorium on the start of new local authority construction projects; and if he has made an assessment as to the extent to which such a moratorium would be sufficient to keep total public spending for this financial year within planned ceilings and upon the construction industry.

[pursuant to his reply, 6 August 1980, c. 191]: Local authorities were asked to provide by 1 August revised expenditure returns which would bring their planned expenditure into line with the Government's policy. I am still examining their response.