To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received on the future of Northumberland council council.

Six principal local authorities and one other organisation from Northumberland responded to the consultation paper "The Structure of Local Government in England". Of these, four commented on the structure of local government in Northumberland, including the role of Northumberland county council. The other three responses were general comments on our proposals.

As all colleges and most schools will soon be free from local authority control, as more services will be put out to contract and as organisations such as Newcastle airport will be put into the private sector, where they properly belong, does my right hon. Friend agree—and I am sure that he will, because he is a reasonable man—that Northumberland needs a unitary authority, especially as Labour-controlled Northumberland county council constantly says that it does not have enough money to decorate schools but recently managed to find one third of a million pounds to give its senior officers a double figure salary increase and company cars?

I know that my hon. Friend will put those points with his customary eloquence to the local government commission that we are about to set up and that he will welcome the fact that we have set it up so that he is able to do so.

rose——

Order. Northumberland is a long way from Eastbourne, but let us see what the hon. Gentleman can do.

Will the Secretary of State assure us that new structures for local government in East Sussex and in Polegate and Willingdon in particular, will not be imposed on local communities against their wishes. Also, if local communities do not like the results of the local government commission, will he consider local referendums? If not, what will he propose?

The hon. Gentleman will know that one of the objectives of our local government commission is to consult local communities deeply and widely. It is designed to attract a structure of local government which is based on local loyalties and which reflects community interests. It is important that the House should have a chance to consider those matters, and the legislation that will come to us from another place will provide precisely that opportunity.