Clause 53 - Pre-commencement consultation
Fire and Rescue Services Bill
4:15 pm
Mr Nick Raynsford (Minister of State (Local and Regional Government), Office of the Deputy Prime Minister; Greenwich and Woolwich, Labour)
I have to say to the hon. Gentleman that not only will I disappoint him by not giving him the assurance that he wants, but I will tell him that his proposition is preposterous—a word that he finds particularly attractive.
I remind him that a year ago we spent a great deal of time on the Local Government Bill. Had we not begun the consultation necessary to allow the prudential borrowing regime to come into effect before the Bill received Royal Assent, local authorities would not have that facility this April. I will not go into the reasons why that Bill took so long to go through Parliament, but the proposition that there should be no consultation before Royal Assent, and therefore that various benefits, which would be very considerable to those members of the public, institutions and bodies interested in the outcome of our discussions, could not be introduced because of strict adherence to a formal rule, is wholly undesirable.
As the hon. Gentleman knows, we are currently consulting on the charging regime. We issued a consultation document, and it is perfectly proper that that consultation should take place now, so that as and when the legislation takes effect we will not risk the hiatus between the old and new regimes which he highlighted. If there were no prior consultation, there would inevitably be a hiatus.
The hon. Gentleman's concept is wrong, although I can understand his genuine concern that we should not treat as relevant consultation that took place 10 years ago. I assure him that we have no intention of doing so. The consultation that is relevant to the Bill is that taking place while the Bill is going through Parliament. The implications of the consultation are well known and understood by the parties involved, and I see no merit in the amendment. I hope that on reflection the hon. Gentleman will agree to withdraw it.