Sustainable Communities Bill

Following your earlier comments, Mr. Deputy Speaker, I rise to congratulate briefly all those who have been involved in the Bill from the start to the point that we have now reached, particularly my hon. Friend the Member for Ruislip-Northwood. It is a tremendous achievement for him to have got his private Member’s Bill so far, having been in the House for just two years. I entered Parliament at the same time as he did, and I would not get any Bill anywhere near this stage. The way my hon. Friend has conducted himself throughout the passage of the Bill shows that he has a bright future ahead of him in this place. I pay tribute also to the Minister for the constructive way in which he has engaged in the debate on the Bill and offered reassurance to those of us who raised our concerns. The Bill may not be perfect, but it is very good. I am delighted that we have not made the perfect the enemy of the very good. The Bill will give great hope and encouragement to people in my constituency and make them feel that they can make a real difference to the decision making that affects their lives and their local community. On their behalf I pass on my heartfelt thanks to everybody who has been involved, especially my hon. Friend.