Clause 5
Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Bill
4:45 pm
Phil Woolas (Minister of State (Local Government & Community Cohesion), Department for Communities and Local Government; Oldham East and Saddleworth, Labour)
That was a helpful intervention in allowing me to provide clarification. The answer is that the guidance will be broad-brush.
The clause will apply when the boundary committee receives a request for advice on a proposal. The boundary committee may provide advice. When it does, it may also do one of three things. First, it may recommend that the Secretary of State should implement the received proposal, with or without modification. Secondly, it can recommend that the Secretary of State should not implement the proposal—full stop. Thirdly, it can make an alternative proposal to the Secretary of State.
If the committee makes an alternative proposal, that proposal must deal with the whole or part of the area that the submitting authority or authorities could have included in their original proposal to the Secretary of State. However, unlike proposals submitted by local authorities, the boundary committee’s alternative proposal does not have to follow existing county or district boundaries. So the alternative proposal procedure is the way for the boundary committee to recommend boundary change for the relevant area. I refer the Committee to page six of the explanatory memorandum, which explains the point.
Subsection (6) provides that an alternative proposal from the boundary committee may not cover an area that includes part or all of the City of London or the Temples. Had I not just clarified that point, the power would have existed—so I hope that Members are paying attention. Proposals additionally may not extend to Wales. That might be of wider interest.
The clause allows the boundary committee for England to provide advice to the Secretary of State, make recommendations on received proposals, and make alternative proposals. The Government will be able to refer proposals to the boundary committee only after Royal Assent—if the Bill is approved by the House. We can ask the boundary committee for advice on any matter relating to the proposal, including looking at the electoral arrangements for that proposal. Again, it is an extraordinarily devolutionary and permissive framework that we are trying to create. I hope the Committee will see fit to support the clause.