Jacqui Lait (Shadow Minister (London), Local Government Affairs & Communities; Beckenham, Conservative)

I beg to move amendment No. 55, in clause 5, page 4, line 26, at end insert

'including the principle of working in partnership with local authorities'.

David Amess (Southend West, Conservative)

With this it will be convenient to discuss amendment No. 59, in clause 8, page 7, line 3, after 'plan,', insert

'(ja) any local authority whose area the Authority thinks is likely to be affected by the implementation of the plan,'.

Jacqui Lait (Shadow Minister (London), Local Government Affairs & Communities; Beckenham, Conservative)

The Minister alluded in his summing up of the debate on clause 4 to the purpose behind these amendments. There is a list of organisations within the local authority structure with whom the ODA must consult, but there is no broad statement about local authorities. I include the Greater London Authority in that. It might not like being defined in that way, but I do so for the purposes of this debate. I hope that the Minister will be able to give me an assurance that the local authorities as a bodyas opposed to the local highway authority, or the others that are listedwill be consulted, along with the GLA, because, significantly, they have been left out.

The Minister has just referred to Scotland. I understand that the Bill is going through the Scottish Parliament under the Sewell motion, but I wonder whether the Scottish local authorities should also be referred to. On the other hand, perhaps the Minister is planning to throw a bone to the Scottish Parliament by allowing it to amend the Bill so that it refers to the Scottish Parliament and the Scottish local authorities.

If the Minister has a moment to think about this matter, I would be happy to hear his views. This is a probing amendment so we will not seek to divide the Committee on it.

Richard Caborn (Minister of State (Sport), Department for Culture, Media & Sport; Sheffield Central, Labour)

I agree with the sentiment behind the amendments. Let us first address amendment No. 55. As the hon. Lady said, we established in the debate on clause 4 that the local authorities are central to the Olympic planning process. We must all recognise the achievement of the joint planning authority team, which has worked hard to drive forward the review of planning applications for the Olympic park. The ODA, once it is established, will appoint a planning committee, and I envisage that the Olympic park boroughs will be represented on that. That will ensure that the views of local authorities are taken into account throughout the process; partnership working is already built into the ODA's planning functions. I do not know specifically about the GLA in that context; to some extent that is up to the ODA.

I turn to amendment No. 59. It will be possible for the ODA to plan and deliver all the necessary transport requirements for the Olympic and Paralympic games only by working closely with the various interested parties. It will therefore be essential for the ODA, in preparing and revising the Olympic transport plan, to consult all those who are likely to be involved in, or affected by, the implementation of the plan.  

Clause 8(3) sets out the key organisations and people that the ODA will need to consult—including the relevant local highway, traffic and street authorities—in preparing and revising the Olympic transport plan to ensure its deliverability. There are undoubtedly others whose input will also be crucial. Obviously, it would not be possible to list in the Bill every organisation or body that the ODA should consult. Clause 8(3)(k) therefore makes provision for the ODA to consult such other persons as it thinks appropriate.

In view of the important contributions that local authorities will have to make in planning for and delivering Olympic and Paralympic transport, I would fully expect the ODA to consult them as it prepares or revises relevant parts of the Olympic transport plan. Paragraph 18 of schedule 1 will enable the Secretary of State to give guidance and directions to that effect, although, as I say, I expect the ODA to consult all those bodies as a matter of course. It is therefore not necessary to list those bodies in the Bill. The ODA will not have planning powers in Scotland, so there is no need to extend the clause to include Scotland.

Jacqui Lait (Shadow Minister (London), Local Government Affairs & Communities; Beckenham, Conservative)

I am grateful to the Minister for his reassurances. I shall be interested to see what the Scottish Parliament has to say about whether the ODA has any authority in Scotland.

Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.

Clause 5 ordered to stand part of the Bill.