Clause 31 - Power to pay grant
Local Government Bill
5:15 pm
Mr Nick Raynsford (Minister of State (Local and Regional Government), Office of the Deputy Prime Minister; Greenwich and Woolwich, Labour)
I will give way to the hon. Gentleman in a moment, but I wish to respond to the valid point that was raised by the hon. Member for Kingston and Surbiton that there may be an argument for changing the arrangements in the House for scrutinising its estimates and expenditure. However, that should not prevent our putting in place a desirable and more flexible framework that would enable us to give appropriate help to local government on a much less restrictive basis than is presently the case.
I have no reason to question the eminently sensible suggestions that the hon. Member for Kingston and Surbiton no doubt wishes to flog to us at £10 a time or offer freely via his website, but his speech was entertaining. He has shown his generosity by giving my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary a copy of the proposals. We shall study it carefully, but there is no reason to oppose the provision.