Sustainable Communities Bill

My hon. Friend may take some comfort for the thesis of his speech. Clause 3(3) puts in place a mechanism to ensure that the voice of parish councils is heard in the formulation of recommendations by local authorities to the Secretary of State for input into a national action plan for sustainable communities. The thrust of the Bill is that in formulating a response to community breakdown and promoting the development of more sustainable communities, the strategy to counter social problems must be driven from the bottom up. Specific mechanics are in place to ensure that that can start with parish councils.