Greater London Authority Bill

I hope that the Government will not be disposed to accept the amendment. I believe it is very restrictive. It is obvious that the present Mayor has aroused a certain amount of ire because of his visits to regimes perceived to be rather left wing. Visits to the United States, the involvement with New York and so on, do not seem to have aroused such opposition, particularly in the popular press. I hope that the amendment is not acceptable to the Government. The wording seems a little contradictory. At the end are the words, "““does not prevent the Authority incurring expenditure in co-operating with or facilitating good relations with other major capital cities””." That seems in conflict with the first part of the amendment. How can one accept that part of the amendment while also talking about, "““expenditure in promoting activities or relationships which are primarily the responsibility of Her Majesty's Foreign and Commonwealth Office””?" Those two functions conflict with each other. Therefore, I do not believe the amendment is acceptable and I hope that the Government will not feel disposed to accept it.