Contributions
869 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDEnglish Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill (Fourth sitting)I beg to move amendment 77, in clause 11, page 15, line 15, at end insert— “(b) in subsection (4)(a), for the words from “consists” to the end of that paragraph substitute…14 Oct 2025HANSARDEnglish Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill (Fourth sitting)I would just point out to the hon. Gentleman that the mayoral precept was introduced in 2017 by a Conservative Government, and that mayors are directly elected. Like Members of…14 Oct 2025HANSARDEnglish Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill (Fourth sitting)The amendment updates the clause to ensure that mayors have the power to precept across all their functions. It replaces the provisions added to the Local Government Finance Act…14 Oct 2025HANSARDEnglish Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill (Fourth sitting)I beg to move amendment 82, in clause 11, page 14, leave out from line 35 to line 13 on page 15 and insert— “(a) omit subsection (11)(a); (b) in subsection (11)(b), for ‘that…14 Oct 2025HANSARDEnglish Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill (Fourth sitting)I understand the concerns expressed by the hon. Member for Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner and the context in which that could arise. Our judgment is that if the independent…14 Oct 2025HANSARDEnglish Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill (Fourth sitting)We are all hugely sympathetic to the funding of fire and rescue—as we see climate change, the imperative of fire and rescue services is key—but it is outside the scope of the…14 Oct 2025HANSARDEnglish Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill (Fourth sitting)I have.14 Oct 2025HANSARDEnglish Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill (Fourth sitting)The clause will ensure that all combined authorities and combined county authorities can pay their members an allowance where they take on special responsibility for the combined…14 Oct 2025HANSARDEnglish Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill (Fourth sitting)Simply, these amendments set out the ways in which a commissioner’s appointment can end. Specifically, it can end if the appointment is invalid, if the person becomes ineligible,…14 Oct 2025HANSARDEnglish Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill (Fourth sitting)I beg to move amendment 72, in schedule 3, page 112, line 23, leave out from beginning to end of line 27 and insert— “Ending of appointment 8A The appointment of a person as a…14 Oct 2025HANSARDEnglish Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill (Fourth sitting)I thank the hon. Member for his thoughtful contribution on this critical question of how to ensure value for money in the remuneration of commissioners. It is important that…14 Oct 2025HANSARDEnglish Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill (Fourth sitting)The amendments will prevent a commissioner from exercising certain fire and rescue functions that should be reserved as functions of the mayor, as head of the fire and rescue…14 Oct 2025HANSARDEnglish Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill (Fourth sitting)I beg to move amendment 70, in schedule 3, page 111, line 33, at end insert— “(d) excepted fire and rescue functions.” This would prevent a commissioner appointed by the mayor of…14 Oct 2025HANSARDEnglish Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill (Fourth sitting)All holders of public office have to adhere to public standards; that is as true for national Government as it is for regional and local government. We expect those standards to…14 Oct 2025HANSARDEnglish Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill (Fourth sitting)We have done this through the constituent members of the combined authority, so that before an appointment can be made, the full combined authority will need to agree to that…14 Oct 2025HANSARDEnglish Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill (Fourth sitting)The hon. Member made the point about the scrutiny of commissioners, which is a fair and valid point, and my hon. Friend the Member for North West Cambridgeshire made the point…14 Oct 2025HANSARDEnglish Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill (Fourth sitting)Commissioners can and will support mayors in getting the job done for their communities. They are not compulsory. There is no obligation on a mayor to appoint commissioners, but…14 Oct 2025HANSARDEnglish Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill (Fourth sitting)The public rightly expect that mayoral strategic authorities will have access to the expertise they need, that they will work with businesses and other stakeholders, and that…14 Oct 2025HANSARDEnglish Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill (Fourth sitting)Government amendments 68 and 69 are consequential to Government amendment 220, which we will discuss later. Government amendment 220 will ensure that responsibility for fire and…14 Oct 2025HANSARDEnglish Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill (Fourth sitting)I beg to move amendment 68, in clause 9, page 11, line 19, leave out from “function” to “, or” in line 20. This would omit this wording is because of its replacement by the new…14 Oct 2025