Clause 16 - ''Capital expenditure''
Local Government Bill
2:30 pm
Mr Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Cotswold, Conservative)
Thank you for your helpful guidance, Mr. Conway.
The Minister has explained that the powers in the clause would be used only sparingly and in exceptional circumstances. While I do not entirely agree with the rather arbitrary nature of these directions, I would rather see more laid out in regulation. We are moving far too far from proper scrutiny in this House, not only of primary legislation, but secondary legislation by regulation. We seem to be getting to a tertiary type of direction that is under nobody's scrutiny except that of the Secretary of State. We will get into some pretty arbitrary territory, which is desirable neither from the individual local authority that has to interpret those directions, nor from the Secretary of State's point of view. He may consider something perfectly reasonable when in practice, because no consultation has taken place, it might turn out to be nonsensical. With those cautionary remarks, I think that we have explored the amendment for the time being. I beg to ask leave to withdraw the amendment.
Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.
Clause 16 ordered to stand part of the Bill.