Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Bill

First, I declare an interest as the chairman of the executive board of the North West Regional Assembly, but for how much longer I leave Members to think about. It is interesting that the Conservative Party has suddenly become localist and devolutionary, which I welcome because I have long been so, and have long thought that local authorities could do much more than they already did and could take the powers of others. However, the amendment is actually too simplistic. In terms of what is being devolved, it is unambitious. What is wrong with health? What is wrong with crime? What is wrong with other functions of government that could be devolved to local authorities? I also think that it is wrong in that that there is a kind of tyranny of local boundaries. Where do local boundaries reflect real life? Very few areas have a boundary that is the same as its local economy. Therefore, there needs to be collaboration between authorities if they are to be effective in terms of the devolution—which I agree with—to groups of local authorities of economic development, learning and skills, transport and so on. We must learn to work together. I am also the leader of the Association of Greater Manchester Authorities. We work well within Greater Manchester, but I cannot say that it uses the boundary of the Manchester city region these days, because it moves out of the boundary areas created in 1972-74. It includes parts of Cheshire, parts of Derbyshire, and other parts which are outside the current boundaries. We try to work with them, but it is much more difficult working beyond Greater Manchester. We must learn to have a mixed view of this. Who is going to fund our transport schemes, for example? Central government. They will want to identify what schemes go forward. One of the great achievements of regional assemblies was the Government realising that they did not have enough money to fund all the ambitions of local authorities and developing a process called the regional funding allocation. That said to regions, ““Come up with your ideas of where our priorities should be””. When it came in the north-west, we realised that we had funding for about £1.3 billion of projects, but everyone thought that promises had been made by the Department for Transport for some £3 billion. There was clearly going to be some disappointment for those who were not going to get funding. We came together on a regional basis, and agreed what we felt would make a real difference to our region in improving its economy and environment. Remarkably, we achieved a reasonable settlement, and I think that that happened across the country. There are times that we need to work together as local authorities. We cannot assume that it can all be handed out to local authorities and expect them to do the job—although, as I say, I an a great devolutionist. We must work together. I am a great exponent of the Government’s idea in the White Paper of multi-area agreements, which can actually achieve some of these objectives. I am in favour of devolution. I welcome the conversion, but this is not it.