My right honourable friend the Minister for Local Government (John Healey) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement. On 8 May 2008 we introduced through the Standards Committee (England) Regulations 2008 (SI 2008/1085) the new, devolved conduct regime for local authority members, in which responsibility for standards of conduct and...

My right honourable friend the Minister for Local Government (John Healey) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement. On 8 May 2008 we introduced through the Standards Committee (England) Regulations 2008 (SI 2008/1085) the new, devolved conduct regime for local authority members, in which responsibility for standards of conduct and...

My right honourable friend the Minister for Local Government (John Healey) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement. I am today announcing a programme of action to help the people of Stoke-on-Trent restore to the city the good city governance necessary to respond successfully to the challenges Stoke faces today...

My right honourable friend the Minister for Local Government (John Healey) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement. I am today announcing a programme of action to help the people of Stoke-on-Trent restore to the city the good city governance necessary to respond successfully to the challenges Stoke faces today...

Schedule 7: Repeals Amendment 170ZA 170ZA: Schedule 7, page 133, leave out lines 3 to 15 Amendment 170ZA agreed.

Schedule 7: Repeals Amendment 170ZA 170ZA: Schedule 7, page 133, leave out lines 3 to 15 Amendment 170ZA agreed.

My Lords, we are revisiting Clause 16 thanks to the ingenuity of the noble Baroness, Lady Hamwee. I am very happy to say again, very briefly, why this is an important clause. Amendments 170A and 170B in effect seek to remove it from the Bill by making the commencement contingent...

My Lords, we are revisiting Clause 16 thanks to the ingenuity of the noble Baroness, Lady Hamwee. I am very happy to say again, very briefly, why this is an important clause. Amendments 170A and 170B in effect seek to remove it from the Bill by making the commencement contingent...

Amendment 171 171: Clause 144, page 87, line 7, leave out "30" and insert "(Joint overview and scrutiny committees)" Amendment 171 agreed. Amendment 171A not moved. Amendment 172 had been retabled as Amendment 170ZA. In the Title Amendment 173 not moved. Report received.

Amendment 171 171: Clause 144, page 87, line 7, leave out "30" and insert "(Joint overview and scrutiny committees)" Amendment 171 agreed. Amendment 171A not moved. Amendment 172 had been retabled as Amendment 170ZA. In the Title Amendment 173 not moved. Report received.

Clause 142: Repeals Amendment 170 170: Clause 142, page 86, line 16, leave out paragraph (a) Amendment 170 agreed.

Clause 142: Repeals Amendment 170 170: Clause 142, page 86, line 16, leave out paragraph (a) Amendment 170 agreed.

Clause 92: Changes to boundaries of an EPB's area Amendment 168M 168M: Clause 92, page 61, line 30, leave out "unitary" Amendment 168M agreed. Amendment 168N not moved. Clause 93 : Dissolution of an EPB’s area Amendment 168P not moved. Clause 94 : Review by authorities: new EPB Amendment 168Q...

Clause 92: Changes to boundaries of an EPB's area Amendment 168M 168M: Clause 92, page 61, line 30, leave out "unitary" Amendment 168M agreed. Amendment 168N not moved. Clause 93 : Dissolution of an EPB’s area Amendment 168P not moved. Clause 94 : Review by authorities: new EPB Amendment 168Q...

My Lords, the noble Lord gave examples of that in Committee. I am saying that there is self-interest in these arrangements but one cannot generalise about localities. My argument holds that partnership working serves interests. There is a mutual interest at stake here and an EPB will be a serious...

My Lords, the noble Lord gave examples of that in Committee. I am saying that there is self-interest in these arrangements but one cannot generalise about localities. My argument holds that partnership working serves interests. There is a mutual interest at stake here and an EPB will be a serious...

My Lords, I am pleased to have the opportunity to offer the reassurances being sought by the noble Lord. I am grateful to him and to the noble Baroness, Lady Hamwee, along with the noble Lord, Lord Tope, for the fact that we have been able to talk about these...

My Lords, I am pleased to have the opportunity to offer the reassurances being sought by the noble Lord. I am grateful to him and to the noble Baroness, Lady Hamwee, along with the noble Lord, Lord Tope, for the fact that we have been able to talk about these...

Clause 95: Preparation and publication of scheme: new EPB Amendments 168R and 168S 168R: Clause 95, page 62, leave out line 42 168S: Clause 95, page 63, line 1, leave out subsection (6) Amendments 168R and 168S agreed. Amendment 168T not moved. Clause 96 : Requirements in connection with establishment...

Clause 95: Preparation and publication of scheme: new EPB Amendments 168R and 168S 168R: Clause 95, page 62, leave out line 42 168S: Clause 95, page 63, line 1, leave out subsection (6) Amendments 168R and 168S agreed. Amendment 168T not moved. Clause 96 : Requirements in connection with establishment...

Clause 106: Preparation and publication of scheme: new combined authority Amendments 168AH and 168AJ 168AH: Clause 106, page 68, leave out line 34 168AJ: Clause 106, page 68, line 35, leave out subsection (6) Amendments 168AH and 168AJ agreed. Amendment 168AK not moved. Clause 107 : Requirements in connection with...

Clause 106: Preparation and publication of scheme: new combined authority Amendments 168AH and 168AJ 168AH: Clause 106, page 68, leave out line 34 168AJ: Clause 106, page 68, line 35, leave out subsection (6) Amendments 168AH and 168AJ agreed. Amendment 168AK not moved. Clause 107 : Requirements in connection with...

Clause 103: Changes to boundaries of a combined authority's area Amendment 168AD 168AD: Clause 103, page 66, line 30, leave out "unitary" Amendment 168AD agreed. Amendment 168AE not moved. Clause 104 : Dissolution of a combined authority’s area Amendment 168AF not moved. Clause 105 : Review by authorities: new combined...

Clause 103: Changes to boundaries of a combined authority's area Amendment 168AD 168AD: Clause 103, page 66, line 30, leave out "unitary" Amendment 168AD agreed. Amendment 168AE not moved. Clause 104 : Dissolution of a combined authority’s area Amendment 168AF not moved. Clause 105 : Review by authorities: new combined...

Clause 115: Guidance Amendment 168AU 168AU: Clause 115, page 72, line 35, at end insert— "( ) an ITA;" Amendment 168AU agreed. Amendment 168AV not moved. Clause 116 : Amendments relating to EPBs and combined authorities Amendment 168AW not moved. Clause 117 : Interpretation Amendment 168AX not moved. Clause 127...

Clause 115: Guidance Amendment 168AU 168AU: Clause 115, page 72, line 35, at end insert— "( ) an ITA;" Amendment 168AU agreed. Amendment 168AV not moved. Clause 116 : Amendments relating to EPBs and combined authorities Amendment 168AW not moved. Clause 117 : Interpretation Amendment 168AX not moved. Clause 127...

That the Grand Committee do report to the House that it has considered the Local Government (Structural Changes) (Miscellaneous Amendments and Other Provision) Order 2009.

That the Grand Committee do report to the House that it has considered the Local Government (Structural Changes) (Miscellaneous Amendments and Other Provision) Order 2009.

As Members of the Committee will know, this order is consequential on the local government structural change orders that Parliament agreed in early 2008. The order makes specific provision to ensure that various matters relevant to the new single-tier councils are dealt with before the reorganisation date. These changes are...

As Members of the Committee will know, this order is consequential on the local government structural change orders that Parliament agreed in early 2008. The order makes specific provision to ensure that various matters relevant to the new single-tier councils are dealt with before the reorganisation date. These changes are...

I am grateful for the welcome given by noble Lords opposite. I think that we would all agree that nothing is perfect in the restructuring of local government; we have empirical and historical evidence to show that. I am sorry that the noble Lord, Lord Bates, was not part of...

I am grateful for the welcome given by noble Lords opposite. I think that we would all agree that nothing is perfect in the restructuring of local government; we have empirical and historical evidence to show that. I am sorry that the noble Lord, Lord Bates, was not part of...

Draft Local Government (Structural Changes) (Miscellaneous Amendments and Other Provision) Order 2009. Lords debate on a motion to consider. Agreed to on question. Debated with draft Cornwall (Electoral Arrangements and Consequential Amendments) Order 2009. Grand Committee held in the Moses Room.

Draft Local Government (Structural Changes) (Miscellaneous Amendments and Other Provision) Order 2009. Lords debate on a motion to consider. Agreed to on question. Debated with draft Cornwall (Electoral Arrangements and Consequential Amendments) Order 2009. Grand Committee held in the Moses Room.

My Lords, we debated this a little in Grand Committee and I am happy to try to reassure noble Lords that their concerns are misplaced. In fact, I suggest that Amendment 37 might have the opposite effect to the one intended. The petitions regime, which this chapter introduces, does not...

My Lords, we debated this a little in Grand Committee and I am happy to try to reassure noble Lords that their concerns are misplaced. In fact, I suggest that Amendment 37 might have the opposite effect to the one intended. The petitions regime, which this chapter introduces, does not...

My Lords, I absolutely appreciate that the noble Lord is trying to be helpful by tabling Amendment 63. We debated this in Committee, and I am afraid that we disagree about what is to be achieved by this indicative list. I cannot add a huge amount to what I said...

My Lords, I absolutely appreciate that the noble Lord is trying to be helpful by tabling Amendment 63. We debated this in Committee, and I am afraid that we disagree about what is to be achieved by this indicative list. I cannot add a huge amount to what I said...

My Lords, I am very grateful to the noble Baroness for the way in which she opened the debate on her amendments. I am pleased to know that we share so many of the assumptions about the values of local authorities and democratic arrangements. What divides us is not principle...

My Lords, I am very grateful to the noble Baroness for the way in which she opened the debate on her amendments. I am pleased to know that we share so many of the assumptions about the values of local authorities and democratic arrangements. What divides us is not principle...