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Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Bill

My Lords, the noble Baroness used the expression that the pass has already been sold and I took that as a gloomy prognostication for parish councils. My noble friend Lord Greaves asked the Government how this will be monitored. The Government do not even know how many parish councils there are. I have been told this by the national association. There is not a list held of how many there are, where they are and what their names are. It has never been known. It is not only this Government who do not know; no Government have ever had this information. So if the Government do not know that, they are not going to know how these powers are being used. The proposal may be full of good intentions and considered a way of bringing in 16 and 17 year-olds, but it will be interesting to see how many of these young people are appointed. As far as I can see, other than that category, every other person who could be appointed to a council could be co-opted under current procedures. I remain totally unconvinced by this proposal and I beg leave to test the opinion of the House. On Question, Whether the said amendment (No. 146) shall be agreed to? Their Lordships divided: Contents, 38; Not-Contents, 113.