asked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) if he will set out in the Official Report the arrangements he proposes for the funding and auditing of the Local Government Audit Commission;(2) by whom the officials of the Local Government Audit Commission will be paid; and whether their salaries will be on local or central Government pay scales;(3) how much the chairman, members and controller, respectively, of the Local Government Audit Commission will be paid; what he estimates the cost of the commission in a full year to be; and how soon he expects this expenditure to be recouped in increased local government efficiency.

I shall answer these questions shortly.