London Local Authorities Bill [Lords]

The hon. Gentleman is putting words into my mouth. I did not say that civil liberties were a ““spurious issue””. My point is that he and his hon. Friends are using the civil liberties argument in a spurious way. As for my constituents coming down to London, if the hon. Gentleman reads the relevant clause in the Bill, he will see that it deals with the anxiety—if it is a genuine anxiety—that he has expressed. The Bill is clear that a designated individual from the council would have to demonstrate their authorisation to seek the information that they were requesting, so that issue is dealt with. However, the vast majority of people coming from Derby to visit our great capital would have no difficulty with council officers as a result of the Bill. This Bill is about ensuring that local authorities can stand up for the silent majority—in other words, the vast majority—of those living in London, who want local authorities to be able to respond effectively to local residents' concerns about a range of issues that the Bill would go some way towards addressing.