To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment which local authorities his Department is investigating under part I of the Local Government Act 1988.

As I indicated in my answer of 21 November 1990, at column 144, my Department is currently investigating complaints of alleged anticompetitive behaviour under part I of the Local Government Act 1988 in the case of 48 local authorities. It is not my policy to publish the names of authorities while actions are under investigation. Authorities are named in cases where the Secretary of State makes a direction under section 14 of the 1988 Act.