Clause 35 - Interpretation of Chapter 1
Local Government Bill
9:45 am
Mr Nick Raynsford (Minister of State (Local and Regional Government), Office of the Deputy Prime Minister; Greenwich and Woolwich, Labour)
That is not the case at all. The purpose of the clause is to define the authorities that are eligible to receive grants under clause 31. There is no ambiguity or confusion. Every authority that is listed is eligible to receive a grant. In different contexts, there might be references to unitary county councils or to other unitary authorities. The term unitary can embrace a range of different bodies and can be subject to different interpretations. That is why we do not use it in the case of clause 35, which needs to be precise—as the hon. Gentleman will recognise—in defining the authorities that are eligible to receive grants. When we come to clause 61, my hon. Friend the Member for Shipley will explain why it is appropriate to have a reference to unitary county councils in that context. However, it is a different context and there is no scope for confusion.
Question put and agreed to.
Clause 35 ordered to stand part of the Bill.