Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Bill

We have looked at Amendment No.204CB and believe that it is important to make clear in the Bill that local people can petition the principal council to conduct a community governance review for the whole of the local authority area, as set out in Clauses 85 and 86. The Bill, as drafted, allows the principal council to act on petitions for a part or the whole of a local authority area when a community governance review is not being conducted in the area. We believe that this is the correct way to proceed. Clause 86 deals with petitions received while the community governance review is being undertaken within the local authority area. Given the points raised by the noble Lord, Lord Greaves, we will give further consideration to the wording of Clause 86, and on that basis we ask that he withdraws Amendment No. 204CB. In relation to Amendments Nos. 204CC to 204CE, our assumption is that the noble Lord has proposed the amendments to make the legislation clearer. He has made that clear himself tonight, and we are again very happy to undertake to consider this matter further. If we accepted the amendments, we would need to ensure that all references in the Bill to ““available area”” are changed.