Greater London Authority Bill

My Lords, I welcome the amendment. I am intrigued at the lacuna that has been exposed in the strategy. As the noble Baroness, Lady Hanham, knows, I am quite close to London Councils but it has not seen fit to advise me of this particular aspect. I shall listen carefully to what the Minister says, because the noble Baroness, Lady Hanham, has pointed, quite rightly, to the enormous range of additional duties which not only fall upon councils but are carried out by councils. They have to be carried out by someone, and they should be a part of a strategy. If there is a reason why they should be excluded, I would be grateful if the Minister will tell us. We are moving to an aspect of the Bill which is absolutely crucial to the people of London: who has responsibility not only to carry out their borough responsibilities but for the overall strategy? As I understand it from these papers, clarity on who does what is vital. The noble Baroness, Lady Hanham, is right to say that there could be difficulties if that is not laid down. If any area causes friction, it should be removed. I look forward to the Minister’s reply.