Sustainable Communities Bill

I would counter the postcode lottery argument in two ways. First, please let us not be under the illusion that postcode lotteries do not already exist under the present system. Secondly, if we genuinely believe in localism, we have to tolerate differences in the spirit of innovation and with the full realisation that things might go wrong. Rather than accept mediocre standards across the board, we should have the chance to raise them somewhere, to develop best practice and to provide a mechanism for people to learn from other people. That is how I would respond to the traditional argument against localism, which is increasingly unsustainable. I tried to make the point earlier that new clause 6 is a compromise. The original clause 5—the one that we now have is, I think, the third variant on the original—was much more radical. It would have given local authorities the right to recommend the reallocation of money without reference to functions being transferred, and with a strong presumption that the Secretary of State would accept local recommendations.