Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Bill

The new clause is simple and straightforward and should be added to the Bill. The Government have repeatedly said that the torrent of targets, plans, guidance notes and approvals should be throttled back, and they have stated clearly that the Bill will do that by relieving local government of the burden of bureaucracy, red tape and financial costs and allowing it to get on with the business for which it was elected. The new clause provides a way of measuring and taking stock of the Government’s performance. Just in case their rebuttal is that it may be perverse to add yet another target to their work load when we are arguing for the reduction of targets, I simply point out that given the burden they are taking from local government and from themselves, a small diversion to measure it would not go amiss. I draw the attention of the House to some of the views of Sir Michael Lyons in his recent report to the Government. He said:"““Over the 1980s and 1990s, there has been an increasing centralisation across a range of local public services…it has also inhibited the ability of local government to respond to local needs and preferences, and to manage financial pressures…The weight of central controls—both formal and informal—can lead to local choices being crowded out…it can stifle innovation and experiment, both of which are promoted by decentralisation.””"