Sustainable Communities Bill

I entirely endorse what my hon. Friend says. Would she go slightly further and say that the other benefit of the new clause and the Bill would be to increase accountability? When my constituents have a complaint that I take up with the local authority, it often says that there is nothing that it can do about the matter because it is prescribed by the Government. When I then write to Ministers, they say that it is nothing to do with them and for the local authority to determine. We often find that there is no local accountability whatsoever. If the powers were clearly handed to a particular local authority or function, there would be increased accountability as well as increased participation.