Cheshire (Structural Changes) Order 2008

My Lords, I have already been admonished for the lack of brevity of my speeches tonight, so I shall take inspiration from Raúl Castro rather than from Fidel Castro in the length of what I have to say. Only three points have been made, so I can keep it brief. First, I thank my noble friend for summing up, but I remind her that, when the Government asked the district councils to look again at the financial implications of their case and when they put Deloitte in charge, Deloitte was surprised by the poor and threadbare nature of the debate. Indeed, they found that 28 of the 33 financial assumptions were above or beyond average risk. Secondly, I was intrigued by what my noble friend Lady Hollis said. She said that, as she had little knowledge of Cheshire, she wanted to make some general comments. However, she went on to say that Cheshire County Council, of its own accord, brought forth the proposal for the unitary authority. I can assure her that Cheshire County Council made every effort to get agreement on the proper way forward among the seven councils involved. It was only when no consensus emerged that Cheshire County Council decided to propose a unitary authority, which was glowingly accepted by the Government. Finally, the noble Lord, Lord Greaves, was the only voice against everyone. His memory of Cheshire is good. It is a patchwork of towns across a principally rural county. The advantage of the Cheshire County Council proposal was exactly that, under the overarching county, the ambition to set up five local boards would have had the effect of meeting and greeting local communities in a superior way to the existing example. Neston and Parkgate, with Ellesmere Port, would be separated and responded to. Crewe and Nantwich, famously locked together, would each be able to speak for themselves. The same would apply to Northwich and Winsford. Cheshire is essentially a centripetal county, not a centrifugal one. The Government have argued all evening that somehow it is disappearing across its borders. However, people want to come and join Cheshire because it has locus, or location. It means something. I have every hope and belief that the county officers, if this decision is taken, will take on the burden and responsibility of dissolving the councils. They will do that because they are professional, right down to the bottom of their boots. I shall withdraw my amendment to the amendment proposed by the noble Lord, Lord Wade of Chorlton, in the hope that your Lordships will support his amendment. I beg leave to withdraw the amendment. Amendment No. 1A, as an amendment to Amendment No. 1, by leave, withdrawn.