To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he plans to lay the Local Authorities (Members' Allowances) (Scotland) Regulations 1990 before Parliament.

I am grateful to all those who submitted comments on the draft regulations circulated by my Department on 15 June 1990. Points have since arisen which will result in a number of changes to the regulations. These changes will not affect the main essentials of the Government's proposals, including the banding proposals which I announced in my letter of 15 May 1990 to the president of the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities. I have nevertheless decided to defer implementation of the new scheme of councillors' allowances in Scotland until 1 November 1990. This will provide local authorities with time to decide whether they wish to make any detailed amendments to their schemes in the light of the revised regulations which will be issued as soon as possible.