Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Bill

moved Amendment No. 9: 9: Clause 2, page 2, line 37, leave out ““or direction”” The noble Baroness said: This amendment brings us to the words ““or direction””. We have just discussed the limitation on the Secretary of State’s power to make directions, which finishes in January. It seems strange that there should be any need for direction at all from the Secretary of State. The process is being done by sending invitations out for voluntary applications by local authorities, if they wish, to come back with unitary proposals. Either the invitation is accepted or it is not. The Minister may say that there are tidying-up bits round the edges that might need direction—for example, if there are recalcitrant and difficult local authorities that do not like the tidying-up bit. However, if that requires direction, we have fallen away from local authorities themselves wanting to put forward proposals. We would like those directions to be removed and we want to ensure that the invitation date is limited as well, so that we can be really clear that this is a limited exercise that will not be undertaken again without the proper legislation. I beg to move.