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Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Bill

My Lords, I shall start with my noble friend, who speaks as usual with great authority. First, on being joined up, we have tabled the amendment precisely as a demonstration that the Government are very much of the opinion that we should bring the two systems, which were separate, into line with each other. That is a very good example of departments working together for a common cause. My noble friend used a quotation from my noble friend Lord Bassam. We were looking forward to having that debate on Amendment No. 54, which is to be moved by the noble Baroness, Lady Harris, who has similar concerns. I was going to use that quotation and say that it is very much our expectation that the statement is still accurate. My noble friend is right in that respect. On the use of the word ““affects””, we want to ensure that people affected, for instance, by the proverbial neighbour from hell are not prevented from getting help from their council simply because it is across electoral boundaries. I hope that that is another example of joined-up activity. In relation to the other questions, it would be worth restating the status of the crime and disorder committee, which was in the Police and Justice Act. Section 19 creates the crime and disorder committee. In authorities where there are executive arrangements, it will be an overview and scrutiny committee; elsewhere, it is just a committee of the council. District and county councils will refer their issues to their crime and disorder committees and county councillors will refer their concerns to their committees. They are parallel systems. There will not be overlap, which is why I said when responding to the amendment that it was important that there would be proper co-ordination at local level. I hope that the noble Lord will accept that.