Part of Levelling-up and Regeneration Bill - Committee (3rd Day) – in the House of Lords at 6:45 pm on 27 February 2023.
Baroness Pinnock
Liberal Democrat Lords Spokesperson (Levelling Up, Communities and Local Government)
6:45,
27 February 2023
My Lords, I will just make one or two additional comments to those of my Honourable Friend Lord Shipley, the main one concerning Amendment 126 in the name of the noble Baroness, Lady Hayman of Ullock, about public consultation. I have been involved in a number of statutory instruments on the establishment of metropolitan combined authorities where the public consultation involving “the public” has been minimal, but it was agreed to be satisfactory because it enabled other local institutions—be it businesses, local council representatives or the LEPs—to respond. That has been labelled “public consultation”.
It seems that once they have been established, combined authorities of whatever nature will rely on public support. Public support will not be forthcoming if they have not been fully engaged with on the establishment of the mayoral authority. The examples given by the noble Baroness, Lady Bennett, were appropriate in this instance. bristol city council decided to get rid of its mayor. Surely that has to be available. Equally, it has to be writ large in the Bill that the public in an area have a right to have their voice heard prior to a combined county authority being established. In the end, they are the recipients of both the tax bill and the decisions made by that authority.
I emphasise the importance of coterminosity. It is not just economic geography or travel-to-work areas—call it what you will—it is about coterminosity with, for instance, police areas and national health areas. These make a big difference to a combined authority’s ability to make a substantial difference to the lives of people in that area. The new integrated care boards seem to have thrown out the idea of coterminosity, certainly where I live, and that will be a negative on their ability to do their best for local people.
The only other point I want to make is about the right for the Government in Clause 24 to dissolve a CCA, and again the importance there of local people being consulted and being able to influence the outcome of a decision. Given that, this is an important set of amendments and I look forward to the noble Earl’s response.
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