This is a list of the municipal boroughs, urban districts, and rural districts in Wales immediately prior to the coming into force of the Local Government Act 1972 in 1974. The number of districts gradually reduced from their creation in 1894 through consolidation. Apart from these, Wales also had four county boroughs, Cardiff, Swansea, Newport and Merthyr Tydfil. Following the establishment of the Welsh Office in 1966, and subsequent legislative processes, the question of whether Monmouthshire (including Newport) should be considered as being within Wales was no longer in serious dispute.