Manchester City Council Bill [Lords](By Order)

A few weeks ago, the LGA carried out an e-mail survey on my behalf so that I could pressurise the Minister. More than 70 local authorities had replied when I talked to the Minister, and my hon. Friend the Member for Pudsey (Mr. Truswell) has mentioned the figure of 90. Therefore, it is simply not true to say that the LGA has not consulted on this; it has done, although by e-mail, admittedly. I also ask the hon. Gentleman to consult the trading standards officers in Newcastle and hear their version of how much the town centre has improved since the Newcastle Bill was enacted.