Sustainable Communities Bill

My right hon. Friend is as eagle-eyed as ever. His contributions are always valuable, because he notices things that other hon. Members miss. The honest answer is that I do not know the Government’s motivation in tabling that amendment. I have no doubt that the Minister will seek to tell the House exactly why amendments Nos. 22 to 25 are so important. I hope that he will reassure the House that their purpose is not to water down or delay the Bill. Like my right hon. Friend the Member for West Dorset, I think that new clause 6 goes to the heart of the debate. It is essential for local democracy, local participation in democracy and people’s faith in the political system that we respond to what people want locally, and I therefore support new clause 6. If the Minister is not prepared to support new clause 6, I hope that he will think again and reflect on how important it is to our local communities.