Written evidence to be reported to the House
Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Bill
2:16 pm
Q165 Alistair Burt: There was a strong sense, from those who want the proposals to proceed, that the measures are all about effective leadership, as you say, but that is not the only purpose of being a councillor, nor of a council. We heard from Back Benchers on Second Reading and we have heard from witnesses the sense that councillors feel that they are out of the loop and have lost their opportunity to contribute. That was not necessarily discovered as a result of any of the surveys; the surveys were all about how to administer power. But ultimately you could get rid of all the councils and run everything yourself, which would be very strong leadership, but not very good.
If you are convinced of what you say, and if the facts support you, let people choose. If 95 per cent. of councils opted for one of the strong leadership models that you are presenting, your point would be proved, but why not allow them to decide?