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Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Bill

As the Minister knows, I come from a local government background and am proud to have served 11 years on Tameside council, where we can really make a difference locally every day in a way that MPs can only dream about. The sad thing is that people do not recognise what local government does and how its functions directly affect their lives on a day to day basis. The Bill is a good one, and we have made it better. We have answered the now infamous Tameside question—the people of Dukinfield and Audenshaw will sleep tonight—and we have won the battle for thirds, too. The Bill is devolutionary in nature and the changes that we made in Committee and on Report show that Ministers listened, and I congratulate my hon. Friends on the Front Bench on their listening role. I hope that the changes we have made will improve the operation of our councils, bring about more accountability and better co-ordination with our partners through local area agreements and strategic partnerships, and improve the scrutiny functions. There will be a real role for councillors to hold to account the NHS, the partners, local trusts, such as Stockport Sports Trust, as well as council departments. The most important part of councillors’ new role, and a point that we have skated over, is that they will hold to account their cabinet colleagues. I hope, too, that the changes will increase people’s recognition of the hard work of all councillors, whether executive or front-line members, and of the work of local authorities more generally. As a consequence, I hope there will be increased participation at local elections. I am ever the optimist—I live in hope—and I wish the Bill a safe passage to the other place.