The noble Lord, Lord Stunell, has stumped me there. As I am not totally familiar with the role of the aldermen, and I am sure he is, I had better write to him on that point, if he will allow.
The point I was seeking to make is that the CCA would in some, if not many, circumstances want to maximise the input from associate members by allowing in certain circumstances those associate members to vote on such matters. The amendment would prevent that happening and could risk undermining the combined county authority’s ability to work in collaboration with local experts who can contribute positively to the working of the CCA.
10.15 pm
I listened with care to the noble Earl, Lord Lytton, who I took to express considerable scepticism about having a non-elected person with a seat at the combined county authority’s table. We did cover this in some detail in the previous group of amendments, which he may not have been here to listen to in full. We have seen combined authorities appoint commissioners with specific expertise to focus on a challenging local policy area and drive change in that area. For example, the Greater Manchester Combined Authority has appointed Dame Sarah Storey as a commissioner on active travel.
The associate member arrangement provides a more formal structure for bringing in such expertise. Associate members can also bring the local business voice into the combined county authority, the harnessing of which is, of course, vital to achieving levelling up.