To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what guidance his Department has issued to local authorities on the practice of co-mingling in relation to (a) local authority investments and (b) funds from the Local Government Pension Scheme. (284002)

No guidance has been issued specifically on co-mingling.

Within the framework of the Local Government Pension Scheme (Management and Investment of Funds) Regulations 1998, as amended, LGPS administering authorities make their own decisions on pension fund investments and the use of pension fund monies.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether the Audit Commission plans respond to the Seventh Report of the Communities and Local Government Committee of Session 2008-09, HC 164, on local authority investments. (284089)

Yes, the Audit Commission has been invited to make a formal response by the Select Committee on the inquiry into local authority investments and will do so by the required date of 21 September 2009.