Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Bill [HL]

I am pleased that the Minister has recognised, albeit slightly too late for her own good, the huge political significance of refuse collection and gritting schedules. No councillor of any experience would ever change a refuse collection schedule shortly before an election; those who have done it have learned why they should not have. I see lots of nods of assent around the Room. I am afraid that it is reality. My noble friend Lord Greaves explained the position very well. I simply endorse what he said about what, as far as I am aware, is certainly common practice throughout local government. We may need to give a little more attention to it. On the amendments in my name and that of my noble friend Lady Hamwee to which I spoke, particularly those relating to the role of councillors, I understand that it is the intention they are covered by other subsections. By normal interpretation, they probably are, but what councillors do is so little understood—sometimes by councillors themselves—that we need to give more attention to it. Councillors generally—I am getting into difficult ground—are getting older and it is becoming more difficult, for various reasons, including pressures of everyday life, to attract younger people from different communities, so that we have a much more diverse representation among councillors. A number of authorities are trying hard to address those problems with limited success. In the context of this Bill and what we seek to achieve, we perhaps should give more thought to being more specific about the importance of understanding the role, function and nature of the work of local councillors in terms of achieving the local democracy that we all want and in whether we can find a better way to make specific reference to that in the Bill. In the mean time, I beg leave to withdraw the amendment. Amendment 3 withdrawn. Amendment 4 not moved.