Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Bill [HL]

I understand why the noble Lord, Lord Greaves, has suggested the amendment. It is quite plain that a key element of local democracy is the hard work and time given up by local councillors. They are the real grassroots politicians. It is vital that members of the public should freely and easily be able to make representations to them. It also goes without saying that the vast majority of local councillors will be sponsored by political parties—in all likelihood by one of the parties represented in this Committee. To that extent, I can see the case for the noble Lord wanting to provide contact information. If you can get in touch with the local party, you should be able to get your message across to your local representatives. It would not be the only route, but I understand the argument that this is another strand of getting the flow of communication between voters and elected representatives. However, I am not convinced by the argument put forward by the noble Lord that this is a necessary or even desirable provision to have in statute. Apart from the arguments deployed elsewhere that this is not the sort of detailed instruction we wish to see being given to local authorities in primary legislation, there is a deeper point. The noble Lord has made his case for providing simply contact information for political parties, to which I shall return. I am concerned by the words, ““and other relevant information””, in his amendment. Who will decide what is relevant? How widely could that phrase be interpreted? I fear that political parties from across the spectrum may use that provision, however much in good faith they think they are acting, to use public bodies to promote their own aims. Promoting their own ideas is the right of any and every party. It should not be the responsibility of the local authority. It would be better to keep that distinction absolutely clear and not to allow any blurring of those boundaries. I cannot see the need for providing even bare contact details of political parties. I agree that the contact details of elected councillors should be available in order for people to get in touch with those who represent them. However, any political party worth its salt should be able to publicise its own contact details. If a party wishes to promote itself, it should use its own resources and efforts. I and other Members of the Committee have campaigned for our parties and we know that, if a party is sponsoring a candidate for election, as well as publicising its goals and ideas, it should have no difficulty doing the same with its contact details. I fear too that this amendment could have the unfortunate, although I am sure wholly unintended, effect of disadvantaging independent councillors or single issue candidates who are not sponsored by any party, but who are a fundamental feature of local democracy. For those reasons, we on these Benches cannot support this amendment.