Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Bill

We have had an important debate. The unifying theme running through it is that decisions must be taken at the right level in order to be effective. Part of the debate has essentially been on where those right levels are, and what the balance between regional, sub-regional and local is. It is about finding the most effective and democratic way to do things. It has been a lively debate, and I say to my noble friends that I absolutely agree that collaboration between local authorities has progressed quite a lot in recent years, as it needed to. However, I cannot accept the amendment. I am sorry that the noble Lord, Lord Bruce-Lockhart, is not in his place because I know how passionately he feels about this and that he reflects the view of the Local Government Association. I agree with a great deal that the noble Lord said, and much of it is reflected in the direction of travel that we are following. I shall give a couple of examples of that. On 28 June, the Statement on machinery of government changes announced a key devolutionary step in relation to skills and education, as funding for education for 16 to 19 year-olds will in future go to schools and colleges via the local authority education budget. In the interaction between regional and local there needs to be mutual influence and respect, and organisations at local level will be consulted by regional and statutory bodies on functions such as RDAs. Another opportunity was created by Section 2 of the Local Government Act 2000 and is the power of well-being. It is broad and powerful and covers economic, social or environmental powers in relation to that function. I know that Essex County Council has already used it in relation to its highways function of removing abandoned vehicles from the roads. That is an important specific use of the power. There is nothing to stop local authorities up and down the country using the power of well-being to take on functional responsibilities in the way that the noble Lord mentioned. I think there is general agreement in the Committee that there must be an important role for higher spatial levels. We need to address regional disparities and powerfully to link up regional economies, skills policies and housing policies. They all sit together and cannot be managed locally and competitively. There has to be a strategy and a vision behind the scope of what is needed if we are to get maximum efficiency, value for money and help available to people. We are looking to the regional level to support and join up in order to maximise efficiency and equity. If noble Lords can be patient for a little longer, I shall say that we are expecting the report of the sub-national economic development and regeneration review very shortly. Highly skilled and committed people have been wrestling for some time with precisely these issues and have been examining the important and complex issue of the different spatial levels and how they best relate to the powers and functions of devolved government. I cannot comment in advance on that, but it has set out the direction of the Government. Only last week my noble friend spoke to the Sustainable Communities Bill, as did the noble Lord, Lord Marlesford. That originated with the noble Lord’s party and now has cross-party support. Its sets in place a mechanism whereby the Secretary of State will be under a duty to invite proposals from local authorities which they consider would contribute to promoting the sustainability of local communities. It provides for requests for a transfer of functions from one person to another following consultation and agreement. Clause 3 requires proposals to be shortlisted by representatives of local government, for the Secretary of State to decide which to implement. Those sorts of things are quite recent. They are powerful, related and add up to a direction of travel that I am sure the noble Lord would applaud, so if I cannot go as far as he wants today, we have gone quite a long way, and we will go further in meeting the opportunities that he described in his amendment.