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National Assembly for Wales (Legislative Competence) (Local Government) Order 2010

My Lords, I join in what appears to be a unanimous verdict of approval for this order. If ever there was a field where the presumption is that devolution should occur unless there is a very good reason to the contrary, it is local government. I find myself in agreement with practically everything that the noble Lord, Lord Livsey, has said in this matter. He has said it in some considerable detail and it would not be improved by repetition on my part. As one who was president of Aberystwyth for 10 years and chairman of its council for that period, I revel in the fact that the 2003 initiative has been approached with such approval and finds fruition today. I am not entirely sure what the argument of the noble Lord, Lord Roberts of Conwy, was about community councils. I do not assume that he is saying that there should be no such councils and that the whole tier should be abolished. That would be a retrograde step and would go entirely contrary to the direction that the noble Lord, Lord Glentoran, indicated.