Sustainable Communities Bill

I understand the Minister’s desire to make progress, but I think it important for us to be clear about the nature of the Bill. It does not permit those in charge of local action plans to seek more money, but it does permit them to reorder priorities: that is, indeed, its intent. In any case in which a Minister believes that the postcode lottery is the side of the argument that wins over localism, it is open to him to define the matter as being of primarily national significance. I do not think, therefore, that the Minister can use the argument that there is a problem with local authorities’ prioritising over matters that Ministers will have already have accepted to be of primarily local significance.