Manchester City Council Bill [Lords](By Order)

I must press the Minister a little more on this matter. Seven local authorities have gone through this arcane and tortuous private Bill procedure, six Bills are before us today and we are told that a further 50 are in the pipeline. That has huge public expenditure implications and it also demonstrates the size of the problem. To follow up the question asked by the hon. Member for Pudsey (Mr. Truswell): how much more evidence do we need? Local authorities would not be spending taxpayers' money on a whim; they would not be doing that unless they thought that they had a real problem. So, the Government have a problem and I ask the Minister the question again: how much evidence does he expect Durham university to be able to produce to convince him that there is a national problem that needs addressing?