Clause 20 - Directions
Local Government Bill
3:15 pm
Mr Christopher Leslie (Parliamentary Secretary, Cabinet Office; Shipley, Labour)
In the debate on a previous clause, when we were looking at one of the direction powers, I gave specific examples of capitalisation of spending by Plymouth and Thurrock councils in the financial year 1996–97. The previous Administration issued directions, not least at the request of the local authorities, to assist them in some of their reorganisation costs. I answered the hon. Member for Cotswold by giving examples of the sort of circumstances in which the three powers in the chapter might be used for specific local authority cases. I have covered some of the issues that may arise in the clause. It is not an unusual clause, and it is not unusual to have directions in a Bill. I hope that the Committee will accept that.