Clause 37
Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Bill
11:15 am
Andrew Gwynne (PPS (Rt Hon Baroness Scotland of Asthal QC, Minister of State), Home Office; Denton and Reddish, Labour)
Perhaps my hon. Friend should have been at the ward boundary public inquiry. He understand just how much fun it actually was.
I think that the Bill is trying to achieve greater clarity and reflection so that wards mirror communities better. The building blocks of wards in metropolitan areas such as Tameside must have 8,000 electors, plus or minus. As I understand it, it would be possible for the Dukinfield ward to cover the whole of Dukinfield, perhaps with five instead of three members. Audenshaw ward could also reflect the whole of Audenshaw with four members instead of three. We might also have a smaller Ashton St. Peter’s ward with two members instead of three. In that case, we could better reflect the communities with which people identify, rather than create wards based on towns to which they do not belong. If the Minister can clarify that that is the intention of this part of the Bill, I give it my wholehearted support.