Clause 18 - Isles of Scilly
Regional Assemblies (Preparations) Bill
11:45 am
Mr Christopher Leslie (Parliamentary Secretary, Cabinet Office; Shipley, Labour)
I shall not put my hand up, because that would not be in order.
The Isles of Scilly should certainly be involved in regional government—as should any part of our great nation—in respect of their role and relationship with England and the south-west. It is reasonable for that participation to take place. The Isles of Scilly will not be subject to a local government review because they already have unitary local government. Local government in the Isles of Scilly differs from that elsewhere in England because the council for the Isles of Scilly is neither a county nor a district council. Several special provisions have been made to allow the council to exercise and perform specified local government functions. However, certain local government functions are performed on behalf of the Isles of Scilly by Cornwall county council. Clause 18 ensures that if a future local government review made structural changes in Cornwall, we would be able to provide, by order, for such functions to be performed by one or more of the successor authorities. That is why the provisions exist in the Bill in their current form.