Greater London Authority Bill

My Lords, I am grateful for the comments and for the compliments that, I think, came from one or two noble Lords. However, the fact that the Assembly has been doing its job well does not deter me from my argument that this additional tool would be useful. As I hope I made clear, the wording is not the same as in previous stages of the Bill; it has benefited from the debate on the amendment. It does not amount to a veto; it is a pause for reflection. In connection with the planning process, I have dealt with the position on applications, and in the context of a substantial and significant application, 14 days would be a short time. I resist any suggestion that from these Benches we would attempt to block the provision of more affordable housing in London. I led a lot of people through the Lobby, with the Government, on that issue at the previous stage. Consultation, to which the noble Baroness referred, is a different matter. The noble Lord, Lord Graham, says that the Assembly has not been inhibited in its criticism. I will take that as a compliment rather than as an answer to the amendment. On the point about bureaucracy, this version of the amendment was drafted by the then monitoring officer, the whole Assembly having considered that it wanted to pursue the matter. Perhaps monitoring officers look for bureaucracy. I do not believe this one did. Certainly she was used to arbitrating between the different arms of the Greater London Authority. By definition, because of subsection (2) and (3), it could not add time. Also by definition, and this is where I shall finish, any matters which would be subject to this would be controversial. The fact that the Mayor has to issue a direction to a functional body—a functional body over which he has so much influence, indeed I would say control in a couple of cases—would indicate that the direction was controversial. The Greater London Authority Act 1999 does not require the Assembly only to deal retrospectively with matters. Section 59(1) says: "““The Assembly shall keep under review the exercise by the Mayor of the statutory functions exercisable by him””." That does not read to me as precluding prospective action. Therefore, while understanding precisely the advice about what one should do at Third Reading, I wish to test the opinion of the House. On Question, Whether the said amendment (No. 1) shall be agreed to? Their Lordships divided: Contents, 51; Not-Contents, 145. [Amendment No. 2 not moved.] Clause 33 [Mayor to determine certain applications for planning permission]: