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Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Bill

moved Amendment No. 196: 196: Clause 78, page 53, line 21, after ““““elected”” insert ““and co-opted”” The noble Lord said: The purpose of Amendments Nos. 196 and 197A, which are grouped together, is to explore the relationship between councillors who can vote and become elected as chairmen of the parish council—or vice-chairmen of the parish council, which the Government do not seem to be coping with—or vote in the election for the chairman and the vice-chairman of the council. Will that include appointed councillors in both cases? Secondly, do the Government recognise that currently some parish councillors are not elected by the public but are co-opted? They are co-opted because perhaps at public elections there are not as many candidates as the number of places, or because when a vacancy arises the procedures necessary to call a by-election are not put in place. I think that 10 electors have to make a requisition to call a by-election and if that does not happen within the specified period, the parish council is able to co-opt a member. In the terminology of the Bill, does the term ““elected”” include those members who are co-opted under the provisions of the existing legislation, or would they be regarded as appointed members in line with the new legislation? The purpose of moving the amendments is to ask these questions, and, I hope, to get answers to them. I look forward to the Minister’s reply. I beg to move.