Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Bill [HL]

People declare their interests in speaking to these matters. I speak as yesterday’s man. My active time in local government was the 1960s; by the 1970s, I had moved on to other things. Of course, I continued to take an interest in these matters. The Minister is entitled to feel somewhat aggrieved that the Government and the Bill are attempting to tackle a problem that we all know exists. I hear what the noble Lord, Lord Greaves, says about there being more opportunities and more initiatives to engage. He may well have evidence that, as a result, local democracy is now better or stronger, but it is not. The Bill attempts to strengthen local democracy. The Government may have got it wrong or perhaps the evidence—which I am sure the Minister will quote and read into the record—can be questioned or challenged. But I cannot believe that the Government, purely for the sake of producing legislation, have produced this Bill simply to fill in time or to provide work for civil servants and Ministers. They want to respond to the evidence that there is a need for more people to be involved in running their councils. I am proud to live in Loughton. The leader of my county council sits on the Benches opposite. I have a high regard and respect for both his work and that of the county council. I am sure that there will be good illustrations of when people do not need to rely on the weapons in this group of amendments, but, sadly, there will be others. Some people have a vested interest in democracy being asleep more than it being lively. Some people have sat on a council for a long time. I wonder how long the noble Lord, Lord Tope, has been on his council.