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Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Bill [HL]

I support those amendments. We have some amendments in this group, too. I endorse everything that the noble Lord, Lord Tope, said. To have the list of people who one should consult is ridiculous. It should be left to local circumstances, because there are different bodies in different places. I have just said that we have bodies such as the Haven Gateway and the Thames Gateway, and obviously they should be consulted, but they should not be in the legislation. My two amendments have been suggested by the Association of Colleges, and I agree with its point. The Learning and Skills Council is mentioned in two parts of the legislation. However, legislation has just been given a Second Reading in the other place that abolishes the Learning and Skills Council and sets up a skills funding agency, if I have it right, and a young people’s learning agency. There is already something in the Bill that is going to be abolished in the coming months, with two new bodies set up in its place. That highlights the ridiculous nature of listing all these various bodies as the Government have done.