Clause 27
10:45 am
John Healey (Minister of State (Local Government), Department for Communities and Local Government; Wentworth, Labour)
I shall speak briefly to this clause because the special introductory provision requires comment. It is needed because big projects can take some time to get under way and we do not want to exclude authorities that may have already been working in partnership with local businesses and business organisations, developing detailed plans based on using BRS as an element of their budget stream. That applies in particular to projects that in the long term will bring real benefits to wide areas. The clause therefore provides a general power to do that, and subsection (6) specifically allows the Secretary of State to make regulations on the establishment and operation of a BRS in London in the period up to 1 April 2012.