Statistics and Registration Service Bill

My Lords, I support these two amendments. When I consider what is proposed and how the board might feel about it, I cannot think for a moment that the board would find it unduly onerous to be required to take into account the local level, as it is left to the board to define what is local, to what extent and how frequently. It is useful to include the provision. As I said previously, even if the effectiveness of expenditure can be increased by only 0.1 per cent, we are talking about a benefit of £100 million every year. That is very big money for very little. I cannot think of an easier way of raising the prospect of a gain of £100 million. As for the emphasis that the board will give, the Bill states that the board shall have a chairman and not fewer than five others; so the implication is that it will be a small board. Three of the others should be appointed having regard to a concern with Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. On such a small board, it would be surprising if, with the national requirement and the needs of those three countries, the needs of local communities in England did not get decent weight. This is a desirable safeguard in view of the structure of the board itself. In the light of what I said about money and the Minister’s understanding of monetary matters, I hope that the Minister will be responsive.