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Mr. Peter Francis

My hon. Friend makes a powerful point, but he understands my position. I cannot instruct the council to produce a report. The council has received legal advice, and I could not advise it to go against that advice, but it could take note of his comments. The council has continued to make it clear that it wants both reports to be published at the same time. It says that it is keen to learn from the outcomes of this case, and my hon. Friend will no doubt draw his own conclusions from that. It clearly needs to take any remedial action required on the publication of those reports as quickly as possible. I understand the desire for those reports to be published as soon as possible, because without such publication, there will be speculation about their contents. I do not want to speculate on those contents, but my hon. Friend and my right hon. Friend asked me to ensure that a meeting will take place, and asked whether the matter will be considered by the Minister for Local Government after publication. Because I do not want to speculate, I cannot give my right hon. Friend the Member for Walsall, South the assurance that he seeks about a further investigation. However, I can give an assurance from the Dispatch Box that my hon. Friend the Minister for Local Government will meet him and my hon. Friend the Member for Walsall, North, as he has done before, to discuss those reports and listen to their concerns.