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Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Bill [HL]

I am sorry if I misheard. It is perhaps better to mishear than to misspeak. Whether it is ring-fenced or not, the additional money will not come to the great number of authorities that are already floor authorities and do not receive any additional money. I have great doubts about the effectiveness of the provision in achieving the aim which we all share. Amendment 155A, on the other hand, would have considerable effect in raising the status, visibility and effectiveness of scrutiny committees in local authorities. If a local authority’s scrutiny committee or committees had the power to require what we term simply as the ““connected authorities””, as described in the Bill, to come before the scrutiny committee, to scrutinise them on behalf of their local community in public and to hold them answerable and accountable, it would do more than any other single measure to raise the status, visibility and effectiveness of scrutiny. It would do far more than designating an existing middle-ranking officer with another bit of a title which means nothing. I urge the Minister to consider carefully the amendment, or at least its purpose, because it would do more to achieve what she and we wish than any designation of middle-ranking officers. I beg to move.