asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he Will place in the Library a copy of the legal opinion on the fiduciary duty of local authorities published by him.

I have made available to the local authority associations copies of an opinion by my Department's legal advisers on this subject. I have today placed a copy in the Library. The opinion is couched in general terms and does not bear directly on the circumstances of any particular authority. It remains the responsibility of local authorities to satisfy themselves that their actions are lawful.