Regulatory Enforcement and Sanctions Bill [HL]

Clause 3 defines ““local authority”” for the purposes of Part 1. Although the term ““unitary authority”” is not explicitly included in the definition, I assure the Committee—this was as much of a surprise to me as it may have been to the noble Lord and the noble Baroness—that they are captured by Clause 3. While the term ““unitary authority”” is often used when discussing local government, such authorities do not actually exist as entities distinct from county or district councils and the term has no meaning in any legal sense. A county council can be a unitary authority if it includes some of the activities of a district council, and likewise a district council where it includes some of the activities of a county council. However, as I say, the term has no meaning in any legal sense. ““Unitary authority”” simply means a county, or more often a district council, that exercises the functions of both a county and a district. Therefore, through the inclusion of county and district councils in England and Wales in the definition of ““local authority””, Clause 3 captures the notion of unitary authorities. Like the noble Lord, Lord Cope, I am particularly interested in local government, and fought hard for a unitary authority for the city close to which I live—and one that I know is close to the noble Lord’s heart. He and I know what I am talking about, but the Committee should know that it is the city of Leicester. Bristol is in the same category. I hope that that is a sufficiently satisfactory explanation to allow him to withdraw the amendment.