Northern Ireland secretary, Peter Hain, has rejected calls to shelve a seven-council restructure in the province. Despite a demand from the transitional assembly in Northern Ireland to drop the plans until a fully-restored assembly could take the decision, Mr Hain said he would be pressing ahead with reform. SDLP member, Tommy Gallagher, had proposed a motion last month calling for the plans to be shelved, and a decision on future arrangement to be made by a restored Northern Ireland assembly. He claimed current plans to restructure from 26 to seven councils would ‘centralise services, remove jobs and resources from many areas'. He said: ‘There is no argument about the need for the reform of local government. However, ratepayers are entitled to one that is fair to all, regardless of where they live, and one which preserves local identity and some sense of place. ‘However, the architects of the plan have arrogantly ignored such a laudable aim and instead want to push their plan for super-councils through.' In a letter to the speaker of the house, Eileen Bell, Mr Hain said the plans would not be changed. He said: ‘An analysis of all of the evidence shows that to achieve everything we hope, the optimum number of councils is seven.' Mr Hain claimed the proposals, due to come into effect by 2009, could not be delayed and implementation would continue. The plans are the result of a review of public administration concluded in March 2006 after almost four years of examination into public services and their structures in Northern Ireland. As the assembly is currently suspended, decisions have been taken in its absence by Northern Ireland ministers, and it was agreed the seven council model should be adopted. Local government minister Phil Woolas has ruled out the idea of England following Northern Ireland's example and adopting a new form of council tax based on a percentage of the value of a home.
