Contributions
1,710 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDLevelling-up and Regeneration Bill (Seventh sitting)I beg to move amendment 15, in clause 7, page 7, line 7, at end insert— “(4A) “The Secretary of State must commission an independent evaluation of the merits of establishing CCAs…30 Jun 2022HANSARDLevelling-up and Regeneration Bill (Seventh sitting)The Minister is of course right that such decisions are more local than central Government, but that goes back to my argument on the first set of amendments. Having told people…30 Jun 2022HANSARDLevelling-up and Regeneration Bill (Seventh sitting)I am grateful for that response. I take slight exception to the idea that the constitutions cannot be imposed without will. Yes, of course, all the members of the county combined…30 Jun 2022HANSARDLevelling-up and Regeneration Bill (Seventh sitting)I am grateful to the Minister. I understand that, but I would like to know that local authorities will not fall victim to a one-size-fits-all arrangement. One could argue either…30 Jun 2022HANSARDLevelling-up and Regeneration Bill (Seventh sitting)I beg to move amendment 18, in clause 9, page 9, line 30, at end insert— “(7) The Secretary of State must publish an annual report on the non-constituent members appointed to each…30 Jun 2022HANSARDLevelling-up and Regeneration Bill (Seventh sitting)Yes, that is right. The suggestions in the amendments form a basis—I would be very keen to build that out across the protected characteristics. That provision has worked with…30 Jun 2022HANSARDLevelling-up and Regeneration Bill (Seventh sitting)I am grateful to the Minister for clarifying that; I would never want to misrepresent what he has said. On the second point, we are likely to test it considerably over the next…30 Jun 2022HANSARDLevelling-up and Regeneration Bill (Seventh sitting)There is a difference of philosophy, but the Minister slightly misrepresents the point I am trying to make, or perhaps I am not explaining it well. Our intention is not, as he…30 Jun 2022HANSARDLevelling-up and Regeneration Bill (Eighth sitting)Yes, absolutely. I remember one of the changes we made when I worked in local government. Remember, that was just one public body—one council—with many departments, just as…30 Jun 2022HANSARDLevelling-up and Regeneration Bill (Eighth sitting)I am grateful to the hon. Member for Westmorland and Lonsdale, who speaks for the Liberal Democrats, for his contribution. His points about rural poverty are well made and are…30 Jun 2022HANSARDLevelling-up and Regeneration Bill (Eighth sitting)I beg to move amendment 22, in schedule 1, page 198, line 18, at end insert— “(2A) The arrangements must ensure that the Chairs of the overview and scrutiny committees of the…30 Jun 2022HANSARDLevelling-up and Regeneration Bill (Eighth sitting)I am grateful for those contributions. The debate has had a bit of lightness to it, but as the hon. Member for Westmorland and Lonsdale said, identity does matter to people. I…30 Jun 2022HANSARDLevelling-up and Regeneration Bill (Eighth sitting)I am grateful to the Minister for that intervention because he has made an excellent case for my amendment. That is what it would do: all communities would have access to the…30 Jun 2022HANSARDLevelling-up and Regeneration Bill (Eighth sitting)Yes, I think so. There is a role for supermajorities, but as an exception and with strong cases. I am not sure this provision has met that test. I have a version of my speech that…30 Jun 2022HANSARDLevelling-up and Regeneration Bill (Eighth sitting)I beg to move amendment 24, in clause 16, page 13, line 10, at end insert— “(aa) affected local district councils”. When I wrote my speech I thought that clause 16 was perhaps the…30 Jun 2022HANSARDLevelling-up and Regeneration Bill (Eighth sitting)I can see the Minister nodding, so that gives me hope. However, I have not had any such contact, so I can only go on what is written in the Bill. If that is the case, perhaps we…30 Jun 2022HANSARDLevelling-up and Regeneration Bill (Eighth sitting)I am grateful for that full answer and happy to withdraw the amendment on that basis. The Minister was as explicit as possible about how he envisages things working. I hope that,…30 Jun 2022HANSARDLevelling-up and Regeneration Bill (Eighth sitting)I beg to move amendment 26, clause 18, page 14, line 35, at end insert— “(1A) But notwithstanding subsection (1)(b), if a CCA prepares and submits a proposal for conferred powers…30 Jun 2022HANSARDLevelling-up and Regeneration Bill (Eighth sitting)I beg to move amendment 27, in clause 19, page 16, line 2, at end insert— “(3A) The Secretary of State must prepare and publish an annual report setting out— (a) any differences…30 Jun 2022HANSARDLevelling-up and Regeneration Bill (Eighth sitting)These are significant powers. We have talked about the importance of devolving highway and traffic functions to CCAs. The clause allows those powers to revert and the Secretary of…30 Jun 2022