My Lords, in what my noble friend Lord Storey called a “progressive and promising Bill”, I will largely confine myself—today, at any rate—to Part 1. I should declare an interest because I was a board member of and legal adviser to Parents for Children, an adoption agency, many years ago...

My Lords, in what my noble friend Lord Storey called a “progressive and promising Bill”, I will largely confine myself—today, at any rate—to Part 1. I should declare an interest because I was a board member of and legal adviser to Parents for Children, an adoption agency, many years ago...

I hope that the Minister can add some flesh to the phrase, ""have regard to the safety"" and give the Committee some feeling about what steps should be taken to ensure safety. There is something between allowing a coastal path where great ravines have to be leapt or which is...

I hope that the Minister can add some flesh to the phrase, ""have regard to the safety"" and give the Committee some feeling about what steps should be taken to ensure safety. There is something between allowing a coastal path where great ravines have to be leapt or which is...

Prequential.

Prequential.

We have that amendment in the group, together with Amendments 190A and 191A. I apologise to the Committee; I have a prior commitment that means that I am not able to stay for long this afternoon. I will read every word in Hansard, and will read between the lines as...

We have that amendment in the group, together with Amendments 190A and 191A. I apologise to the Committee; I have a prior commitment that means that I am not able to stay for long this afternoon. I will read every word in Hansard, and will read between the lines as...

I will indulge myself with one general political point, which is that the Minister made an extremely good case for the Government ensuring that local authorities can get back into the business of building housing as part of the economic regeneration programme. I wrote down what I thought was the...

I will indulge myself with one general political point, which is that the Minister made an extremely good case for the Government ensuring that local authorities can get back into the business of building housing as part of the economic regeneration programme. I wrote down what I thought was the...

My Lords, we have addressed this matter in slightly different forms on a number of occasions during the passage of this Bill. At the last stage, my noble friend and I tabled a rather longer amendment which provided for invitations to be given up to June of next year, rather...

My Lords, we have addressed this matter in slightly different forms on a number of occasions during the passage of this Bill. At the last stage, my noble friend and I tabled a rather longer amendment which provided for invitations to be given up to June of next year, rather...

My Lords, I hope that the Minister received a message from me earlier this morning concerning some questions that I want to ask about this group of amendments. That might seem a little odd, as my name has been added to some of them, but that was for a procedural...

My Lords, I hope that the Minister received a message from me earlier this morning concerning some questions that I want to ask about this group of amendments. That might seem a little odd, as my name has been added to some of them, but that was for a procedural...

My Lords, I have only one more sentence, but I have no idea how long the answer might be. I, too, was rather surprised that we went on with the Bill and I apologise to noble Lords who are not as transfixed as I am by the new schedule to...

My Lords, I have only one more sentence, but I have no idea how long the answer might be. I, too, was rather surprised that we went on with the Bill and I apologise to noble Lords who are not as transfixed as I am by the new schedule to...

My Lords, I am grateful for that. I am particularly interested in knowing what ““publish”” means in the two contexts. I was not asking for an advert in the local paper or anything of that sort; as I said, to my mind, ““publication”” means putting the matter into the public...

My Lords, I am grateful for that. I am particularly interested in knowing what ““publish”” means in the two contexts. I was not asking for an advert in the local paper or anything of that sort; as I said, to my mind, ““publication”” means putting the matter into the public...

My Lords, I would not advise anyone to place bets on that. I am left wondering why new Section 21B(3)(c) is required at all. My understanding of the noble Baroness’s argument is that the difference between us is the word ““published””. In my mind, publishing means putting into the public...

My Lords, I would not advise anyone to place bets on that. I am left wondering why new Section 21B(3)(c) is required at all. My understanding of the noble Baroness’s argument is that the difference between us is the word ““published””. In my mind, publishing means putting into the public...

My Lords, I am grateful for that. I think that any local authority that does no more than keep copies of stuff available at its premises needs to be introduced to the world of technology. I beg leave to withdraw the amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. [Amendment No. 195ZA not...

My Lords, I am grateful for that. I think that any local authority that does no more than keep copies of stuff available at its premises needs to be introduced to the world of technology. I beg leave to withdraw the amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. [Amendment No. 195ZA not...

moved Amendment No. 195: 195: Clause 128, page 85, line 31, leave out from beginning to ““to”” in line 32 The noble Baroness said: My Lords, again, we return to a matter that was raised at the previous stage by my noble friend Lord Greaves; the obligation or otherwise on...

moved Amendment No. 195: 195: Clause 128, page 85, line 31, leave out from beginning to ““to”” in line 32 The noble Baroness said: My Lords, again, we return to a matter that was raised at the previous stage by my noble friend Lord Greaves; the obligation or otherwise on...

moved Amendment No. 191: 191: Clause 125, page 82, line 40, after ““representations”” insert ““(which may be in writing or oral)”” The noble Baroness said: My Lords, my noble friend Lady Scott will speak to Amendment No. 192. Amendment No. 191 relates to the right of a councillor to make...

moved Amendment No. 191: 191: Clause 125, page 82, line 40, after ““representations”” insert ““(which may be in writing or oral)”” The noble Baroness said: My Lords, my noble friend Lady Scott will speak to Amendment No. 192. Amendment No. 191 relates to the right of a councillor to make...

My Lords, my noble friend has made her concerns quite clear. Amendment No. 192 was not intended to require the local strategic partnership to be called before an overview and scrutiny committee; its purpose was to extend, "““’local government matter’ in relation to a member of a local authority””" to...

My Lords, my noble friend has made her concerns quite clear. Amendment No. 192 was not intended to require the local strategic partnership to be called before an overview and scrutiny committee; its purpose was to extend, "““’local government matter’ in relation to a member of a local authority””" to...

My Lords, I am grateful for that. It is new Section 16A(3)(e) in Clause 82. When I referred to it earlier, I could not remember which clause it is in. It states that regulations may make provision about the purposes for which a person appointed is to be treated as...

My Lords, I am grateful for that. It is new Section 16A(3)(e) in Clause 82. When I referred to it earlier, I could not remember which clause it is in. It states that regulations may make provision about the purposes for which a person appointed is to be treated as...

moved Amendment No. 196: 196: Clause 188, page 130, line 21, leave out subsections (1) to (3) The noble Baroness said: My Lords, the amendment takes us to the part of the Bill on ethical standards. The amendment is to probe the status of appointed councillors. Subsections (1) to (3)...

moved Amendment No. 196: 196: Clause 188, page 130, line 21, leave out subsections (1) to (3) The noble Baroness said: My Lords, the amendment takes us to the part of the Bill on ethical standards. The amendment is to probe the status of appointed councillors. Subsections (1) to (3)...

moved Amendment No. 10: 10: Schedule 1, page 59, line 30, at end insert— ““( ) The Assembly may arrange under section 54(1)(a) of this Act for its functions under paragraph 6 above to be discharged on its behalf by a single member of the Assembly.”” The noble Baroness said:...

moved Amendment No. 10: 10: Schedule 1, page 59, line 30, at end insert— ““( ) The Assembly may arrange under section 54(1)(a) of this Act for its functions under paragraph 6 above to be discharged on its behalf by a single member of the Assembly.”” The noble Baroness said:...

My Lords, for the record I should add that the officers at the Greater London Authority—I did not consult them on this—have been particularly grateful to the Bill team for their assistance. It has been a very open process and very much a model of how these things should go...

My Lords, for the record I should add that the officers at the Greater London Authority—I did not consult them on this—have been particularly grateful to the Bill team for their assistance. It has been a very open process and very much a model of how these things should go...

My Lords, I am grateful for the comments and for the compliments that, I think, came from one or two noble Lords. However, the fact that the Assembly has been doing its job well does not deter me from my argument that this additional tool would be useful. As I...

My Lords, I am grateful for the comments and for the compliments that, I think, came from one or two noble Lords. However, the fact that the Assembly has been doing its job well does not deter me from my argument that this additional tool would be useful. As I...

moved Amendment No. 6: 6: Clause 35, page 38, line 23, after ““Authority”” insert ““which shall transfer the sum to the authority which would be the local planning authority in the absence of a direction by the Mayor under section 2A”” The noble Baroness said: My Lords, I shall speak...

moved Amendment No. 6: 6: Clause 35, page 38, line 23, after ““Authority”” insert ““which shall transfer the sum to the authority which would be the local planning authority in the absence of a direction by the Mayor under section 2A”” The noble Baroness said: My Lords, I shall speak...