Planning Bill

I suppose both proposals, but probably more so the Question whether the clause should stand part. I have a problem with the clause from both ends, as it were. Who are the RPBs—or, rather, who will they be? In the debate in the other place, the Minister repeatedly referred to regional assemblies, seemingly without realising that the Government had already decided to abolish them. So my first question is: how will the RPBs be constituted in the future? I expect that there are others here who know the answer. I ask that not to call into question or doubt the ability of local government to co-ordinate themselves on a regional basis. More and more work is being done on a cross-border basis on a whole range of work. What worries me is that unless the RPBs are properly constituted bodies, which remain in being in spite of the fact that they might have delegated their powers, how or when might a looser arrangement be able to regrasp these powers? That brings me to the other side of the equation. I do not believe, as others have stated, that RDAs are suitable to take on this role. They are economically focused; they have a big regeneration budget and can drive an economic agenda but they are not democratic. All too often they seem to think that they know best. They have a reputation in many areas of not listening very hard. They can drive an agenda without any democratic recourse and are not usually very popular organisations. They are, as the noble Lord, Lord Judd, said, focused on economic regeneration, often at the expense of the social and environment factors—what the noble Lord loosely referred to as a quality of life agenda. I do not think that this delegation is a good idea. Incidentally, the few RDA board members to whom I have spoken are not particularly keen on it either. They do not think that they are really equipped to take on these responsibilities. If the RPBs were to delegate powers to the RDAs on a temporary basis, how could the RPBs, or whatever they may be in the future, be certain of being able to wrest those powers back again?