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Contracting Out (Highway Functions) Order 2009

Amazingly enough, I can give very few answers to the noble Lord, Lord Bradshaw, but his concerns are much repeated, and we have consistently agreed with the importance of managing the roads effectively. This is a modest consolidating order. It takes vast chunks of activity that are already contracted out and puts them together. The number of additional powers it introduces is quite small. The essence of the order is our view about the relationship between government and local government. Ultimately, we give powers to local government, whose responsibility it is to discharge them effectively. The order does not require local government to contract out these services. But it is a permissive order: if in the interest of value for money local authorities wish to contract out these services, they may. They are accountable to the electorate to discharge these services in an appropriate way. I cannot believe that they would get into the poacher/gamekeeper situation. Indeed, if there were any area of squeal in this order, it would come from utilities concerned about overvigorous interpretation of the responsibilities by local authorities using this contracting-out capability. Local authorities have a burden politically and in terms of their duties to get a fair proportionality, and I hope the Committee will support the order.