Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Bill [HL]

This is the seventh day but we are not resting. My Amendment 173A builds on what the noble Baroness has just said. I am aware that rather discreetly—almost coyly—the Bill abolishes regional chambers. That is tucked away in a schedule, but then we knew that it was coming. However, there should be justification on the record in Parliament as to why the Government have taken this decision. The regional chambers are a democratic, albeit imperfect, contribution to the regional arrangements that we have now, and the noble Baroness, Lady Warsi, is right to say that, if there is no leaders’ board, there will be no democratic input because we will have lost the regional assemblies—or chambers, as they are known statutorily—in the course of passing this Bill. My Amendment 182D is consequential on that and I am not intending to speak to Amendment 182CA.