Oral question asked in the House of Commons, by Peter Soulsby (Labour). It was answered on Tuesday, 27 March 2007 on behalf of the Department for Communities and Local Government.

Local Democracy

Question: I welcome the Government’s move to establish the commission. I am sure he is aware of the national census of local authority councillors published recently by the Local Government Association and others, and is therefore also aware of the scale of the task faced by the commission. The census shows that at present councillors are far from fully representative of the communities they serve, that their average age is in the late 50s, and that all parties are struggling to attract and retain council candidates of calibre. Does my hon. Friend agree that that is a challenge for the Government, for local government and for all political parties if those of us who care about the future of local democracy are to see it flourish?

Answer: I agree with my hon. Friend, who served with distinction as leader of his city—one of the most diverse cities in our country—for, I believe, 18 years. He is right to draw this matter to our attention. I will not list the figures from the census, but Members will gather that the pattern across the country is that councillors are not as representative of communities as we would all like them to be—although I have to say that some parties start from a better base than others.

Secondary information

Type: Oral question
Reference: 458 c1291-2
Session: 2006-07
Oral question type: 1st Supplementary
Chamber / Committee: House of Commons chamber
Subjects: Elections Local government Councillors Public participation Councillors Commission
Link: View this Oral question on www.publications.parliament.uk