asked the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to his reply of 4 March, Official Report, column 867, if he will indicate the nature of the totally frivolous national issues he referred to in relation to expenditure identified in the Audit Commission report on London councils; and if he will make a statement.

Paragraph 36 of the Audit Commission occasional paper refers to the £20 million spent by the eight authorities concerned on women's rights, gay rights, local economic development and support for ethnic minorities.