Part of Regional Assemblies (Preparations) Bill – in a Public Bill Committee at 11:30 am on 18 December 2002.
Philip Hammond
Shadow Minister (Communities and Local Government)
11:30,
18 December 2002
I beg to move Amendment No. 57, in
Clause 16, page 9, line 38, leave out 'sections 22 and' and insert 'section'.
This explanation will become quite complicated—I hope that all my cross-referencing has gone according to plan. Section 22 of the 1992 Act refers to the power to create residuary bodies. The effect of amendment No. 57 is therefore to remove the ability to create residuary bodies that will assume the residual liabilities—and assets, I suppose—of local authorities that are to be abolished.
It is important that the Bill does not create a mechanism for increased public expenditure or duplication of resources and effort. We are talking about a reorganisation of local government in a region and the transfer of powers from two-tier authorities to unitary authorities; in other words, powers will either move up from shire districts or down from large county authorities that are to be restructured as more than one unitary authority. I can see no reason why all the assets and liabilities of existing authorities should not be vested in one or other of the newly created authorities. I suspect that we are talking about a one-off manipulation of the situation that may allow, for example, the Secretary of State to give a huge, concealed benefit to a region that is moving towards having an elected regional assembly and unitary authorities.
If—to select a region at random—the north-east were to choose in a referendum to pursue elected regional assemblies and the Minister were minded to establish residuary bodies for the liabilities of some of those authorities, might that not be a way of offering an inducement to electors in those regions? They would see a significant improvement in the financial situation of their local authorities as a result of the ability to transfer liabilities out to residuary bodies. Who would pick up the ultimate liability of those bodies? Would central Government pay—the taxpayer from other parts of the country? I am concerned about the way in which this provision might be used, but I also think that, even if it is not misused, it is simply inappropriate not to transfer the liabilities and assets of existing authorities to their successor authorities.
A parliamentary bill is divided into sections called clauses.
Printed in the margin next to each clause is a brief explanatory `side-note' giving details of what the effect of the clause will be.
During the committee stage of a bill, MPs examine these clauses in detail and may introduce new clauses of their own or table amendments to the existing clauses.
When a bill becomes an Act of Parliament, clauses become known as sections.
Secretary of State was originally the title given to the two officials who conducted the Royal Correspondence under Elizabeth I. Now it is the title held by some of the more important Government Ministers, for example the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.
As a bill passes through Parliament, MPs and peers may suggest amendments - or changes - which they believe will improve the quality of the legislation.
Many hundreds of amendments are proposed by members to major bills as they pass through committee stage, report stage and third reading in both Houses of Parliament.
In the end only a handful of amendments will be incorporated into any bill.
The Speaker - or the chairman in the case of standing committees - has the power to select which amendments should be debated.
A parliamentary bill is divided into sections called clauses.
Printed in the margin next to each clause is a brief explanatory `side-note' giving details of what the effect of the clause will be.
During the committee stage of a bill, MPs examine these clauses in detail and may introduce new clauses of their own or table amendments to the existing clauses.
When a bill becomes an Act of Parliament, clauses become known as sections.
Ministers make up the Government and almost all are members of the House of Lords or the House of Commons. There are three main types of Minister. Departmental Ministers are in charge of Government Departments. The Government is divided into different Departments which have responsibilities for different areas. For example the Treasury is in charge of Government spending. Departmental Ministers in the Cabinet are generally called 'Secretary of State' but some have special titles such as Chancellor of the Exchequer. Ministers of State and Junior Ministers assist the ministers in charge of the department. They normally have responsibility for a particular area within the department and are sometimes given a title that reflects this - for example Minister of Transport.
