Clause 24 - Enactment establishing assemblies immaterial
Regional Assemblies (Preparations) Bill
7:00 pm
Mr Christopher Leslie (Parliamentary Secretary, Cabinet Office; Shipley, Labour)
The hon. Gentleman finished his remarks from a sedentary position with the two words, ''I think'', which I hope the record will reflect as an indication of his view.
Amendment No. 87 would stop anything being done under the Bill until legislation were in place that enabled elected regional assemblies to be established. The whole point of the amendment, therefore, is that it would in effect negate the clause. That is clearly a delaying tactic to prevent the referendum from taking place. It is clear to the public and all concerned what the consequences would be of voting in a referendum.
There is sufficient information about the shape of elected regional assemblies not only in the White Paper, but in the commitment that we gave to pre-referendum definitive statements, which could set out the proposals, the work of an assembly and the shape of unitarisation. There is also plenty of precedent in the same two-stage approach of a referendum followed by enactment of the Bill to enable an assembly to be set up. That was used adequately in the London arrangements and in Scotland and Wales.
Amendment No. 88 would prevent parts 2 and 4 from commencing the parts on the local government review and the funding for regional chambers until two months after, rather than on, enactment. That is splitting hairs and, more particularly, it is another way of trying to delay work on the local government review and activity on the regional chambers, which is not desirable. The Bill provides for those matters to be dealt with as soon and as quickly as possible, which is what most reasonable people would want. I urge the Committee to reject the amendments.