To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many different plans concerning local authority functions each tier of local government has been required to submit to central Government in each year since 1997. [98407]
The number of plans required to be submitted in each year to central Government is in the following table. These figures include plans which are required from partnerships which include local authorities as well as those plans that are required from only particular authorities. The table reflects the best available information.The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister recently announced a significant reduction in the number of plans that will be required from all authorities. The very best authorities will have only to prepare two plans, neither of which will be submitted to Government.
| Year | Unitary | Tier District | County |
| 1997–98 | 5 | 2 | 4 |
| 1998–99 | 11 | 3 | 10 |
| 1999–2000 | 18 | 3 | 17 |
| 2000–01 | 22 | 5 | 21 |
| 2001–02 | 31 | 9 | 28 |
| 2002–03 | 33 | 7 | 31 |
| 2003–041 | 22 | 5 | 20 |
| 1Estimate | |||