My Lords, I am grateful to all noble Lords who have contributed to the debate, including the noble Baronesses, Lady Harris, Lady Pinnock and Lady Bennett, and the noble Lords, Lord Foster and Lord Stunell. It has been a very interesting discussion. The arguments I have heard articulated many times over the years on voting methods have been rehearsed with great conviction this afternoon.
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I thank the noble Baronesses, Lady Pinnock and Lady Harris, for tabling their amendment, which gets to the heart of the level of autonomy and devolution the Government wish to achieve through the Bill. Proposed new subsections (1) and (2) in their amendment set out the intention that local authorities be able to choose for themselves the voting system that will reinvigorate local democracy in their area. I am sure that no one would disagree with that aim, or even say that the methods suggested may not achieve it; but I am also sure that noble Lords would agree that changing the voting system by itself would likely only partially achieve that aim, if at all. If it is accompanied by greater financial freedoms and flexibilities, as we have already discussed, and wider powers for councillors to act in the interest of their communities—and if that, in turn, built confidence and engagement—that would create the kind of holistic change we all want to see. I am sure that that is the intention, as I am very conscious of the other contributions the noble Baronesses, Lady Pinnock and Lady Harris, have made during the debates so far. No doubt they will make more such contributions.
Regarding proposed new subsection (3), having only recently been through the local government boundary commission process, I know that it is for local authorities to determine whether they wish to carry out elections by thirds or on an all-out basis. I hope that option will also exist for authorities which gather together in CCAs, and that, as the CCA is set up, it is able to determine for itself the sequence of elections.
Proposed new subsection (4) refers to the voting method used. I have listened with great interest to the debate and the very good points made by the noble Baroness, Lady Pinnock, on the voting systems of the devolved Administrations. I am interested to know whether and how a CCA would determine the voting method across, say, 10 or 12 constituent member authorities. I have a slight concern that, if the CCA is required to do that as part of the process of formation, it might just slow things down a bit while the CCA and the constituent local authorities debate the relative merits of alternative voting systems, many of which I have heard about over the years. I dare say that there may be some political preferences for one system over another. Proposed new subsection (5), as we see it, contains enabling provisions for the proposed new clause.
So while we could argue the relative merits of part of this amendment, it is again disappointing that, in setting out the Bill, we could not be more ambitious in addressing issues that are critical to overall devolution. It is rather a shame and a missed opportunity that the Bill did not include those vital issues.