Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Bill

moved Amendment No. 88: 88: Clause 53, page 26, line 25, leave out subsection (3) The noble Baroness said: The business managers should provide the mover of the first amendment after Questions with some standard form of wording that would show all the proper courtesies but allow the House a moment to show how much noble Lords support the development of local government in England and Wales. I hope that is the right formula. Many years ago, when I brought the controller of a BBC radio channel into the Chamber, he looked at the microphones and said, ““It must be quite interesting mixing the sound in here””. This is probably an example of that; the volume of my microphone seems to have been turned up. The amendment is grouped with Amendments Nos. 89 and 90, in the name of my noble friend Lord Greaves. Clause 53 provides for elections for parish councillors to be held in years when there are also elections of district councillors in the same place. I can understand that there would be reasons for having the two sets of elections on the same day, such as cost, convenience and turnout, but there are also good reasons to separate them. Where the parish is the ““parish pump”” type, beloved of those who write certain types of fiction, and not political, one can understand that cost and convenience would outweigh other considerations. However, not all parishes are small or apolitical. Where there is a lively local political scene, it would not necessarily be desirable to hold the two sets of elections at the same time. It is useful for voters, first, to be able to show that they understand that this is a different election and, secondly, to reflect shifts in the political mood as the years go by. The two elections can be a useful counterpoint to each other. I have tabled this amendment so that the Government can explain their thinking and to ask them to confirm that in this instance ““district”” includes a unitary authority. I beg to move.