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

I beg to move amendment No. 35, in page 30, line 1, leave out subsection (2).

The clause deals with the recommendations to improve economy, efficiency and effectiveness at the request of local government bodies. Subsection (2) states that associations of employees must be consulted by the local authority before making the request for a study. To consult unions before a study, regardless of whether the study affects employees, seems unnecessary and could cause employees needless worry. Could the Minister explain the rationale behind the subsection?

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

Amendment No. 35 would remove the requirement for a local government body in Wales to consult appropriate associations of employees before making a request to the Auditor General for him to undertake or promote an economy, efficiency and

effectiveness study in respect of it. Consultation is existing practice and therefore the amendment would be seen as draconian. It could seriously impede the conduct of a study and, as a consequence, devalue the results. Moreover, the absence of any requirement to consult would be in stark contrast to continuing practice in England.

This measure gives employee organisations the opportunity to express views that would be valuable to the conduct of the study, even if the association had concerns over its conduct. Such concerns may in themselves be informative to the study. I think the hon. Member will agree that consultation, even where an association may not necessarily agree with its rationale, is more positive than no consultation at all. I therefore believe that the amendment would be detrimental.

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

The important thing is that the Auditor General may consult, and having consulted will go ahead irrespective of the results. While I agree that any consultation is better than none, this is perhaps not the tidiest bit of the Bill. It could cause employees some needless worry. However, I take the point that the purpose is to allow some consultation. I beg to ask leave to withdraw the amendment.

Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.

Clause 44 ordered to stand part of the Bill.