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Greater London Authority Bill

I think that I was about to advance a stirring argument on the fact that the consultation measures in this Bill relate only to the Mayor and the Assembly. We think that they should be broadened and that proper procedures should be put in place for consultation with the wider public. The public should know what those procedures are and be able to identify them somewhere on the Mayor's website. Indeed, I was interested in the account of the noble Lord, Lord Campbell-Savours, of his experience of trying to access anything to do with finding out about the strategies of the Greater London Authority. The validity of consultation is accepted by the public if they know what it is about, what is happening, and why. I cited the introduction of the congestion charge as an example of how things should not be done, whatever the outcome. It would therefore be extremely helpful to have a proper strategy—we have so many others that we may as well have one more. I shall continue to press the amendment, although probably not today. For the purposes of this stage, I shall withdraw it.