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Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Bill

My Lords, all that I can say at the moment is that it will depend on the nature of the invitation made to the residual area in south and mid Bedfordshire. I am fairly certain that we would invite local councils there to proceed on a basis similar to the current one. Perhaps the noble Baroness will allow me to take that matter away and think about it in light of the discussions that are proceeding. I would not want to be categorical about that at the moment. Amendment No. 28 seeks to alter our process for restructuring by increasing from four weeks to two months the time available for individuals to make representations to the Secretary of State on an alternative proposal made by the boundary committee. We had this debate in Committee and I am afraid that our position has not moved, because the existing process of consultation is pretty long and fairly adequate. We are not convinced that this amendment is necessary. It would increase the period for representations to ensure that individuals have sufficient opportunities, but there are numerous opportunities for communities and stakeholders to make their views known. Perhaps I may explain. Where the boundary committee is minded to make an alternative proposal, it must first publish a draft and take such steps as it considers sufficient to secure that persons who may be interested are informed of that proposal and of the time in which they can make representations. It is a 12-week consultation. Subsequently the boundary committee must take these representations into account and if it decides to make the proposal to the Secretary of State, it must inform anyone who previously made representations on a particular proposal that it has made a proposal to the Secretary of State. The committee must also inform those people that they will have four weeks to make representations to the Secretary of State. If we were to extend this window for representations it would only increase the period of uncertainty and disruption and would not be beneficial for anyone involved. There is ample opportunity to make representations about an alternative proposal. It is hardly about collusion behind closed doors, because we want to ensure that proper judgments are made in response to peoples’ feelings and experience. Although I know that the noble Lord will be disappointed, I hope that he will accept that explanation.