asked the Minister for the Environment the number of occasions within the last 20 years, on which a surcharge has been imposed on a member of a local authority by the local government auditor, and has been duly paid; if he proposes to introduce legislation to abolish the surcharge power; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

Local government auditors have imposed surcharges on members of local authorities on nine occasions during the past 20 years. All these surcharges related to local authority members in their capacity as members of vocational education committees or harbour authorities. Appeals were lodged against the surcharges in all cases and no payments have been made by the persons concerned on foot of these surcharges. While I have no proposals to abolish the local government auditors' powers of surcharge, I will consider any recommendations which may be made in the matter by an interdepartmental committee which is currently examining the operation of the local government audit service.