Greater London Authority Bill

We are having quite a long debate on the same issues. It always rather annoys me when the Government rightly say that we have got the wording of our amendments wrong and that they will kill the Bill, or something. We always know in Committee that we can return with further amendments that might include the right wording. I do not think there is much difference in what we are trying to say. We want London to be mainly abiding by national policy but to allow the Mayor to do some slightly different things if they are right for London. I am not criticising the current Mayor. I think that he is implementing some good policies. The next Mayor, if he or she is a Conservative Mayor, will not be allowed to stand unless they have stronger environmental policies than the current one. We want stronger environmental policies for London than we have. That is one reason why we are tabling such amendments: we want to allow that flexibility for any Mayor of London. We are going round in circles. Perhaps the Government could look at the wording. The early amendments that they moved allowed some flexibility, as the noble Lord, Lord Rooker, said. We need to reflect on what has been said today and read Hansard. I am glad to withdraw the amendment today; I am sure that we will come back to debate this later. I beg leave to withdraw the amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.