Mr Bill Wiggin (Shadow Secretary of State for Wales, Local and Devolved Government Affairs; Leominster, Conservative)

I beg to move amendment No. 31, in clause 46, page 30, line 39, at end insert—

'(f) a port health authority;

(g) a conservation board;

(h) a local probation board;

(i) an internal drainage board'.

Amendment No. 31 relates to amendments Nos. 29 and 30, which we discussed earlier. It is a probing amendment, to discover why those four types of body have been excluded. Could the Minister explain why a local probation board is not included in the bodies set out in clause 46, which will be covered by clauses 47 to 49?

Mr Don Touhig (Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Wales), Department for Constitutional Affairs; Islwyn, Labour/Co-operative)

The amendment would extend the requirement to comply with the provisions in respect of the publication of information related to performance standards set out in clauses 47 to 49 to all the local government bodies listed in clause 12(1). The practical effect would be to require port health authorities, conservation boards, local probation boards and internal drainage boards to publish such information for comparative purposes. Extending the requirement to publish performance standards information to a range of Government bodies specified in clause 12(1) would risk imposing an unnecessary burden on comparatively small local government bodies with a limited range of functions, for which comparison may be difficult and not particularly informative.

Extending the scope of the performance standards provision in the Bill would also cut across the discretion of the National Assembly. As drafted, the clause gives the Assembly the power to add to the list of bodies not currently covered by clauses 47 to 49. There is some leeway for change in the future, as the hon. Gentleman accepted in an earlier debate, so I ask him to reflect on the amendment and to consider withdrawing it.

Mr Bill Wiggin (Shadow Secretary of State for Wales, Local and Devolved Government Affairs; Leominster, Conservative)

Ever since I entered the House I have been allergic to red tape and increasing burdens, even on Government bodies. The Minister made some valid points; as he rightly said, we have been over this ground before. I therefore beg to ask leave to withdraw the amendment.

Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.

Clause 46, as amended, ordered to stand part of the Bill.