Orders of the Day — London Regional Transport (Penalty Fares) Bill (By Order)

Part of the debate – in the House of Commons at 7:30 pm on 10 May 1990.

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Photo of Harry Cohen Harry Cohen , Leyton 7:30, 10 May 1990

I shall not respond to that as I know that you, Mr. Deputy Speaker, will not allow it.

If local authorities should be accountable, so should LRT. It should stand for election every year, especially when it wants to introduce a Bill that will cost the public more money.

My hon. Friend asked about the Henley formula for local authority elections. He wants that formula to operate according to a level set by the Government of what a council's spending should be. If a council spent in excess of that level it would have to hold an election. That is politically manipulative. Only Labour authorities would have to have elections every year. I will not mind the system because when a Labour Government returns to power we shall set the level for Conservative councils so low that they will have to hold an election every year. The Labour councils will not have to hold an election every year. If the Government play political games with the level of spending and the poll tax, we should do the same. Unelected quangos should also face an election.