Clause 26
Local Transport Bill [Lords]
10:45 am
Clive Betts (Sheffield, Attercliffe, Labour)
I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman for giving way again. My position is not at all extraordinary. I completely accept that central Government have a right to propose legislation to the House, and that the House can pass it and, therefore, direct local authorities to behave in a certain way. However, I thought the hon. Gentleman’s party wanted to devolve more powers and responsibilities to local authorities. Surely what he is saying about quality contracts is that if those powers were given to local authorities, he would want to take them away if he got into government. That is the reverse of the philosophical position his party is now adopting.