Cities and Local Government Devolution [Lords] Bill

As well as amendment 29, I will speak to Government amendments 4, 18 to 22, 27 and 28, and to the...

Will the Minister confirm that these devolution powers from central Government apply to Mancheste...

The hon. Gentleman makes an important point. We are talking about powers that are being transferr...

In theory devolution is fantastic, of course, and we all agree with it, but in this debate on Sun...

I can absolutely give my hon. Friend that assurance. The Government have consulted on, and made c...

The Minister is making a rational and cogent argument. I would like to take him back to the quest...

Yes, I can give the hon. Gentleman that reassurance. Every devolution proposal will involve a dea...

I will speak about this at greater length later, but may I make one specific point now? Historica...

I will of course give the hon. Gentleman that undertaking, and I shall listen carefully to what h...

When the Localism Act was passed, the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, th...

The hon. Gentleman shares my admiration for my Secretary of State and for the work that he has do...

My hon. Friend makes the important point that rural areas should be protected. Will he give the H...

My hon. Friend raises a point that I know is close to his heart. He has tabled amendments to the ...

The Minister has talked about a bottom-up approach. From what I understand, Manchester is to be o...

I recognise the hon. Gentleman’s diligence in raising his concern, particularly given that that i...

The Minister has given the welcome assurance to my hon. Friend the Member for North East Somerset...

That would be entirely a matter for the proposal put forward by the local area in question. We wo...

Can the Minister explain what first attracted the Chancellor of the Exchequer to the idea of exte...

The hon. Gentleman tempts me to divert my attention from the amendments. The steps this Governmen...

The Minister mentioned that local areas can choose what area will bid for these devolved powers, ...

It is up to local areas to make proposals, and we will look at the offers and deals. Thirty-eight...

Given what has been said by my hon. Friends the Members for North East Somerset (Mr Rees-Mogg) an...

I have had discussions with my hon. Friend the Member for Altrincham and Sale West, I recognise t...

I welcome this movement, but can the Minister explain why the Secretary of State has always insis...

I think the hon. Gentleman may have misunderstood the direction of travel that I am setting out, ...

The Minister has just said that the Sheffield deal could be put at risk, but at this stage it is ...

The hon. Gentleman might recognise that that would then not be the agreement that has been propos...

The Minister is making the case that a mayor is required in order to have strong enough leadershi...

Let me be absolutely clear about this: this Bill does not allow this Government or any future Gov...

Does the Minister accept that Greater Manchester is not just a single city? It is an area made up...

Two cities.

Two cities, nowadays, and several very independently minded towns, which feel that they have been...

It is important to be clear about what the devolution we are talking about does, It takes powers ...

I would like the Minister to clarify something. As he knows, the north-east combined authority ar...

The hon. Gentleman will recognise from the quote by the Chancellor that I just read out that wher...

This point was covered very well on Second Reading. My hon. Friend may remember the speech of my ...

My hon. Friend makes a very good point. If we want to drive forward the opportunities that devolu...

rose—

I will give way for the final time for the moment.

I thank my hon. Friend and the Secretary of State for the reassurance that was given to my hon. F...

Perhaps I need to be clearer about the impact of this clause. This clause would put at risk some ...

Is the Minister saying that he has entered into draft deals for which he has no legal powers and ...

What I am saying is that, if this amendment is not made, deals with areas including Greater Manch...

rose—

If the hon. Lady will let me make a little progress, I will give way to her soon. I know that she...

I am very grateful to my hon. Friend for giving way. He is proceeding with great courtesy, erudit...

My hon. Friend raises an important point. He gives me the opportunity to clarify again the differ...

I wish to come back later to make some other points, but let me raise now this issue of two-way o...

I hear what the hon. Lady says and that issue will be given a great deal of consideration. I will...

rose—

I cannot give way to my hon. Friend, because I must make some progress. I apologise to him, but t...

They are a special case.

Although those places are indeed special, the amendment is completely at odds with the generic, e...

The Minister is being very generous in giving way. May I take him back to the point made by the h...

I hear the hon. Gentleman’s thoughts and recognise the intention behind the amendment. I will lis...

On the question of dissolving a combined authority, will not the difficulty always be that poolin...

The hon. Gentleman makes a salient and important point. The Government will not support the amend...

Will the Minister also listen to the problem in the districts in north Nottinghamshire and north ...

We will consider both the specific situation that the hon. Gentleman raises and more generally it...

I want to make a very few points, because I know that other Members want to speak, particularly m...

I absolutely agree with the thrust of the hon. Gentleman’s remarks. Does he share my view that th...

The right hon. Gentleman is absolutely right. Of course, the whole principle of the devolution th...

I agree with my hon. Friend, but it is obvious why the Government want mayors. In certain areas—i...

I would not want to second guess the motives of the Secretary of State, so I will use my own argu...

My hon. Friend is making a powerful case. The difference between his deal and the Greater Manches...

There is a big difference in the Manchester case. I am not arguing that Manchester should have a ...

As the hon. Member for Macclesfield on the other side of the Pennines, I understand the hon. Gent...

I understand that argument, and it would be a lot easier to accept it from the Government if ther...

It is a pleasure to speak in the debate, and I shall speak to amendment 39 in my name. The purpos...

In Greater Manchester work on the devolution proposals is very advanced. Amendment 51, tabled by ...

I think that the hon. Lady has mistaken the explanatory statement, which refers to the 50% thresh...

The hon. Gentleman will appreciate that when I read an explanatory statement that says:

“Th...

My hon. Friend will know that the Greater Manchester devolution settlement came from the bottom u...

I thank my hon. Friend for that intervention—his knowledge in this area is comprehensive.

A...

Of course, the point is that the Greater Manchester combined authority already exists in statute;...

My hon. Friend is absolutely right; it is a good thing. When people talk to me—and, I am sure, wh...

I am pleased to have an opportunity to participate in this brief debate in Committee. We have alr...

I understand from my hon. Friend the Member for Nottingham North (Mr Allen), who is very knowledg...

I should not speak for my hon. Friend the Member for Hazel Grove in this instance, although I wil...

I want to try to clarify the point about the 50% threshold. In a referendum in which the electora...

I am grateful to my hon. Friend, who expresses the matter clearly and succinctly.

We have a...

I have great respect for my hon. Friend, who is indeed a great friend. Like him, I would absolute...

I am glad to have enabled my hon. Friend to speak for himself.

Amendment 42 seeks a very si...

I am sorry, obviously, to interrupt the much deserved flattery. Does my hon. Friend accept that, ...

I absolutely agree with my hon. Friend. In my Greater Manchester constituency, the level of knowl...

It is correct that no political party has so far campaigned on a metro mayor, but can the hon. Ge...

The hon. Gentleman and I agree in a distressingly large number of circumstances, and I absolutely...

Before I begin, I should inform the Committee of the breaking news that our good friend Michael M...

I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman for tempting me to intervene on him. Does he share my disappo...

Unless there is a written settlement, there has to be an evolutionary settlement and someone has ...

My hon. Friend talks about the principles of devolution, but one of the key factors as to whether...

My hon. Friend makes a very sound point, of which we should all be wary. We need to break that sy...

Does the hon. Gentleman agree that the difference between the United Kingdom and many other count...

I do, but I gently suggest that the hon. Lady does not push me too far on that point, because she...

The whole concept of entrenchment in legislation is very interesting, but it is very difficult wi...

I would jump at the possibility of moving to a written constitution, because that would make it k...

Order. I want to call the Front Benchers at about 2.55 pm. There are still six or more Members wh...

Given that the hon. Member for Nottingham North (Mr Allen) has informed the Committee of the sad ...

May I add to what the Minister has just said? In my dealings with Mr Meacher in this House, he ne...

I was not going to intervene, but the hon. Gentleman is maligning the great city of Bristol, whic...

I am very grateful for the hon. Lady’s intervention, because it brilliantly encapsulates what I w...

The Minister made three startling claims in his opening remarks. He said that mayors will not be ...

The North East LEP does not really hang together cohesively in its geography. It extends from sou...

My hon. Friend makes a good point. In 2010 the Government were completely against regions, but no...

Order. I remind hon. Members that I intend to call the Front-Bench speakers not much later than 2...

It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Crausby.

I pay a warm tribute to the ...

I am pleased—along with my neighbour the hon. Member for North East Somerset (Mr Rees-Mogg)—to gi...

Turning to another aspect of devolution, I would like to talk about the importance of health devo...

I start by putting on record my condolences to the family and the many friends of Michael Meacher...

I entirely concur with the arguments my hon. Friend is putting forward. Unfortunately, in the nor...

Absolutely. I thank my hon. Friend for that intervention. Those constraints are being imposed by ...

We have had an interesting and wide-ranging discussion that none the less has retained the cross-...

I want to return to the point, mentioned across the Chamber, about the work that can be done coll...

My hon. Friend brings a wealth of experience to this place, and I welcome her comments and interv...

I am listening to the Minister’s comments about referendums and what we discussed on Second Readi...

My hon. Friend pre-empts what I was coming on to say. He is, of course, absolutely right, and is ...

I appreciate the Minister’s confirmation that nothing will be imposed on any area where it is not...

My hon. Friend is of course right about the importance of sharp accountability with respect to th...

Will the Minister just be honest? He says that he is not going to impose a system, but he well kn...

I listened carefully to hon. Gentleman’s contribution, and I know that he is exercised by this is...

Will the Minister confirm that for the area of the North Eastern local enterprise partnership, wh...

I am happy to confirm that we are in discussions with local authority leaders in that area, but t...

Does the Minister think it would be in the best interests of the north-east to have an elected ma...

My hon. Friend raises a valid point. An elected mayor provides the focus and accountability; it m...

I am grateful for my hon. Friend’s very clear answer. Is it therefore the case that if an area re...

Of course. Areas that choose not to be part of devolution—and it is their choice; devolution will...

Will the Minister give way?

I will if the hon. Gentleman is very brief. I know that he is enthusiastic to have his say.

I am, because what the Minister has just said is not true. What has been said to the seven local ...

I am not sure how much more clearly I can express myself. We will not impose devolution on any ar...

I beg to move amendment 45, in page 4, line 18, at end add

‘provided that in each exercise ...

With this it will be convenient to discuss the following:

Amendment 40, in page 4, line 18,...

I shall be brief. Amendments 40, 41 and 45 relate to a variety of questions regarding the precise...

Again, I shall speak about a number of issues that relate to the bigger principles and can perhap...

I agree with my hon. Friend’s argument on income tax. Might the full suite of property taxes, not...

Our London colleagues have done some fantastic work on how to localise taxation that is currently...

I have been listening carefully to my hon. Friend and, while I do not disagree with him, the prop...

My hon. Friend is absolutely right. A proper redistribution mechanism—whether it is based on the ...

In addition to the point made by the hon. Member for North Durham (Mr Jones), does the hon. Membe...

No, I do not believe that is the case. That happens everywhere. Although I am very much an ardent...

Does my hon. Friend agree, though, that that is not what is being offered by this Government? The...

I again agree with my hon. Friend. We are not there yet and it is not a done deal yet. We need to...

Will my hon. Friend give way?

I am very conscious of the time, but I will give way.

4.15 pm

Is not a further argument for local taxes being controlled at local level that it allows local go...

The nuance that I would add to my hon. Friend’s excellent point is that local taxation need not n...

Will my hon. Friend give way?

I will, but if I may, I will make that the last intervention, otherwise you will start to twitch,...

My hon. Friend is committed to and searching for radical localist solutions. He mentioned the eff...

I would not ever wish to do to central Government what they have done to local government. I will...

I am grateful for the opportunity to say a few words about amendment 50, which I tabled. I will b...

I am very interested in the point that my hon. Friend is making, but concerned that his proposal ...

I do not feel that a referendum would be necessary, because the councillors on the various counci...

I agree with what my hon. Friend the Member for Nottingham North (Mr Allen) said about the need f...

My hon. Friend is right to say that the Select Committee must consider business rates retention i...

My hon. Friend is right, and the Committee made that recommendation in the previous Parliament. I...

My hon. Friend’s point about poorer areas and the full devolution of business rates is apposite. ...

We will certainly want to consider that issue. Reading what has been said, and the written statem...

It is my view that there are no problems with the Bill. I championed it last week because I belie...

I rise to make the case for new clauses 10 and 11, which stand in my name, but first, I should pr...

Amendment 2, tabled by my hon. Friend the Member for Nottingham North (Mr Allen), calls for the c...

I concur that a constitutional convention would be very sensible, as my hon. Friend the Member fo...

My hon. Friend is reiterating the point that I was making earlier, and I entirely agree with him....

I suppose Bassetlaw would have the option of declaring itself a unitary authority, of getting app...

I am very interested in what my hon. Friend is saying. He knows that I am very familiar with his ...

The Minister will clarify whether, legally, people can have a say, but I am sure that there are w...

As a former leader of a council and a member of a combined authority and local enterprise partner...

My hon. Friend reminds me that Thomas Jefferson once said that were people to wait for Washington...

My hon. Friend is spot on in in identifying some of the mechanisms that can be used to help local...

This group of amendments deals with the functions of combined authorities and their funding. I sh...

We have had an interesting and wide-ranging discussion. I recognise the comments made by hon. Mem...

If the Minister thinks the system is serving us well, may I gently remind him that six or seven m...

As I said, I recognise the hon. Gentleman’s interest and expertise in this area, and I am sure th...

I am very grateful to my hon. Friend for his assurances, which are extremely welcome, and for ack...

I thank my hon. Friend and note that flattery can get you a long way in this business.

The ...

These are complicated issues and I am not totally sure that I followed all that, and I do not kno...

In line with my desire to retain my reputation as a benign velvet glove, I have already written a...

Does the Minister accept that the Scotland Act 2012 gives the Scottish Government the right to re...

The hon. Gentleman is consistent with his theme of wanting to go further to take devolution to wh...

On the Minister’s language, it is not so much a desire to go further as a desire for England to c...

The hon. Gentleman is articulate and persuasive, but he will not tempt me to elaborate further.