These are important questions and I am grateful that they have been raised. On the question raised by the noble Lord, Lord Dixon-Smith, I can do no better than to quote what my honourable friend said in the other place. He was asked a very similar question and gave a...

These are important questions and I am grateful that they have been raised. On the question raised by the noble Lord, Lord Dixon-Smith, I can do no better than to quote what my honourable friend said in the other place. He was asked a very similar question and gave a...

I had one or two questions on finance that I was going to raise in the opening speech, but I decided not to in the interests of brevity. I am slightly less optimistic than the noble Lord, Lord Dixon-Smith. My worry is not about what happens with the savings but...

I had one or two questions on finance that I was going to raise in the opening speech, but I decided not to in the interests of brevity. I am slightly less optimistic than the noble Lord, Lord Dixon-Smith. My worry is not about what happens with the savings but...

rose to move, That the Grand Committee do report to the House that it has considered the Shropshire (Structural Change) Order 2008. The noble Baroness said: We now come—reluctantly, I feel—to the final order, which is very much the same set of propositions. The order establishes the new unitary Shropshire...

rose to move, That the Grand Committee do report to the House that it has considered the Shropshire (Structural Change) Order 2008. The noble Baroness said: We now come—reluctantly, I feel—to the final order, which is very much the same set of propositions. The order establishes the new unitary Shropshire...

I am very grateful to the noble Baroness for that reply. It will be encouraging to everyone on the implementation committee to work extremely hard to try to ensure that what they have estimated ought to happen in fact happens. Had the response been anything else there might have been...

I am very grateful to the noble Baroness for that reply. It will be encouraging to everyone on the implementation committee to work extremely hard to try to ensure that what they have estimated ought to happen in fact happens. Had the response been anything else there might have been...

I hope the Minister will forgive me if I introduce another topic that I ought to have introduced much earlier, but I am still picking up the threads of local government. Local finance is a subject that has always interested me intensely. I have always said that if you control...

I hope the Minister will forgive me if I introduce another topic that I ought to have introduced much earlier, but I am still picking up the threads of local government. Local finance is a subject that has always interested me intensely. I have always said that if you control...

Draft Shropshire (Structural Change) Order 2008. Lords debate on a motion to consider. Agreed to on question. Grand Committee held in the Moses Room.

Draft Shropshire (Structural Change) Order 2008. Lords debate on a motion to consider. Agreed to on question. Grand Committee held in the Moses Room.

I expect to be able to confirm that formally shortly, but my intention would be to see the appointment to every chief executive post subject to open competition. I would expect to be able to make that a requirement. It is right that we should set the expectation that other...

I expect to be able to confirm that formally shortly, but my intention would be to see the appointment to every chief executive post subject to open competition. I would expect to be able to make that a requirement. It is right that we should set the expectation that other...

This is the fourth debate that we have had on this issue, and a common theme has emerged. The Conservatives' opposition is described as being one of principle, but it seems to me that a lot of the difficulties that we describe on all these occasions turn out to be...

This is the fourth debate that we have had on this issue, and a common theme has emerged. The Conservatives' opposition is described as being one of principle, but it seems to me that a lot of the difficulties that we describe on all these occasions turn out to be...

Professor Chisholm is one of the people who has done a great deal of work across the piece. No doubt the Minister will deal with that in his closing speech. Viewed in the context of all the other evidence, it is clear that the Department is making assertions with nothing...

Professor Chisholm is one of the people who has done a great deal of work across the piece. No doubt the Minister will deal with that in his closing speech. Viewed in the context of all the other evidence, it is clear that the Department is making assertions with nothing...

Will the Minister give way?

Will the Minister give way?

As the hon. Gentleman knows, I was not discussing kissing the Prime Minister; I certainly would not want to do that. The hon. Gentleman's comment was rather flippant, but I was making a serious point. Eighteen thousand of my constituents came to the ballot box in the referendum to vote...

As the hon. Gentleman knows, I was not discussing kissing the Prime Minister; I certainly would not want to do that. The hon. Gentleman's comment was rather flippant, but I was making a serious point. Eighteen thousand of my constituents came to the ballot box in the referendum to vote...

Oh no!

Oh no!

The hon. Gentleman is right to make that particular point about an area such as Shropshire. The time scale will be a matter for the Electoral Commission, but I know that it has in mind the clear aim to complete the work in good time to enable candidates to be...

The hon. Gentleman is right to make that particular point about an area such as Shropshire. The time scale will be a matter for the Electoral Commission, but I know that it has in mind the clear aim to complete the work in good time to enable candidates to be...

I shall give way to the hon. Member for Bromley and Chislehurst (Robert Neill).

I shall give way to the hon. Member for Bromley and Chislehurst (Robert Neill).

Regrettably, I feel that that is a patronising thing for the Minister to have said, because the referendum in Shrewsbury was carried out by the Electoral Commission and was conducted under the most professional auspices imaginable, with very clear questions. Therefore, I totally dissociate myself from what the Minister said....

Regrettably, I feel that that is a patronising thing for the Minister to have said, because the referendum in Shrewsbury was carried out by the Electoral Commission and was conducted under the most professional auspices imaginable, with very clear questions. Therefore, I totally dissociate myself from what the Minister said....

Will the hon. Gentleman give way?

Will the hon. Gentleman give way?

Will the Minister give way?

Will the Minister give way?

Please will the Minister quantify the gains?

Please will the Minister quantify the gains?

Well, let me move on to my second point. Purely in financial terms, having checked the figures, the quantifiable gains to the council tax payers of Shropshire will be about £9 million each year. The hon. Gentleman confirmed at one point that he was talking about Professor Chisholm. Professor Chisholm's...

Well, let me move on to my second point. Purely in financial terms, having checked the figures, the quantifiable gains to the council tax payers of Shropshire will be about £9 million each year. The hon. Gentleman confirmed at one point that he was talking about Professor Chisholm. Professor Chisholm's...

I beg to move,"That the draft Shropshire (Structural Change) Order 2008, which was laid before this House on 8th January, be approved." Tonight, or rather this morning, we are to consider the draft order for the establishment of the new unitary Shropshire council. It is not prime time, but the...

I beg to move,"That the draft Shropshire (Structural Change) Order 2008, which was laid before this House on 8th January, be approved." Tonight, or rather this morning, we are to consider the draft order for the establishment of the new unitary Shropshire council. It is not prime time, but the...