Philip Dunne (Ludlow, Conservative)

I would like to ask the Under-Secretary a question about subsection (3), which states that a parish must have at least 150 electors to create a council. How was that figure arrived at? The people in a number of sparsely populated rural areas, where fewer than 150 people live spread out over a large area, might feel a sense of community identity and want to constitute themselves as a council. What representations did she receive from the Local Government Association or other bodies to justify that figure?

Angela Smith (Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Department for Communities and Local Government; Basildon, Labour)

I am not aware of any representations against the figure. The current position is that each parish must have a parish meeting at which all local government electors in the parish meet at least once a year. The Bill will not change that. One hundred and fifty people could still have a parish and therefore a parish meeting, but that would not be a parish council with precepting powers. The Bill does not stop local people becoming organised or having a community identity. They just will not have a parish council, as such. Does that answer the hon. Gentleman’s question?

Mr. Dunne indicated assent.

David Burrowes (Enfield, Southgate, Conservative)

On the number of people necessary for a recommendation to create a parish council to be made, why are the figures based on the number of local government  electors, not population? The clauses that cover alternative arrangements for executives were based on population figures, not the number of electors.

Angela Smith (Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Department for Communities and Local Government; Basildon, Labour)

That is standard procedure for parish councils. It has not changed.

David Burrowes (Enfield, Southgate, Conservative)

I appreciate that it may be standard. I am asking why. Some groups, for example, residents of a housing estate, might not be represented as electors, but they are part of the population. They might want to be part of a community so that may be a rationale, even though they are not electors, for them to have a say and to ensure that their area is represented by a parish council.

Angela Smith (Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Department for Communities and Local Government; Basildon, Labour)

We are discussing community councils and the services that are received by the community as a whole. The traditional reason for the arrangement goes back many years, probably to before the hon. Gentleman and I became Members of Parliament. However, when establishing a parish council or a new governance process, the electors will make such decisions. That has been the established tradition for many years.