Sustainable Communities Bill

The hon. Gentleman will have read the Bill, as I have. Clause 1(2) states that sustainability may be promoted by"““increasing participation in civic and political activity””." One of the problems that has arisen over the years of centralisation—I am happy to concede that that did not begin under this Government, but has been fostered for a decade and more—is that people have increasingly found that they have no say over the way in which services are delivered in their communities.