Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Bill [HL]

The amendment raises an important issue and, again, I want to be as reassuring as possible. Clause 20 lists the categories of authority, besides principal councils, to which some form of petitions duty may be extended. I shall concentrate on parish councils, as the amendment applies to them. The list includes parish councils in England or community councils in Wales, economic prosperity boards established under Clause 84 or a combined authority established under Clause 98, and a range of other types of authority. Clause 21 provides that any extension would be by statutory instrument using the negative resolution procedure. The noble Lord, Lord Greaves, wants to remove parish councils in England and community councils in Wales from the list of bodies to which any sort of duty may be extended. As the noble Baroness said, he thinks that national rules are inappropriate, and I suspect that he also thinks that this is a very onerous duty. He and I certainly agree that parish councils are very much at the heart of small communities, and we recognised their role in 2007, when we discussed the Act that permitted the extension of the power of well-being to them. These are cherished bodies and they deal with the sorts of services that we care about very strongly; for example, allotments, public conveniences and cemeteries. These are the things that make a difference to quality of life, and indeed to death. Therefore, we believe that it is appropriate that these councils should be accountable to local people and that local people should be able to raise any concerns with them and seek improvements. They are nearer the community but they have the same sort of problems that other local authorities face. People are still reluctant to come forward. Very few are aware of the work that these councils do and very few participate in that work. Part of the joint venture across the parties in this Committee is to increase people’s involvement with parish councils and to make local people feel that they have more influence. We think that that comes about through knowing how to address a petition and get a result. However, I am also fully aware that parish and community councils have very different arrangements and resources from principal local authorities. Therefore, subsection (4) provides that any duty in the Bill which is applied to a body listed in Clause 20 can be modified precisely to take into account the differing natures of those bodies. We know, for example, that many parishes have only a part-time clerk. Any requirements on parish councils will therefore have to take into account their ability to respond, and we are committed to meeting the cost of any new burdens placed on them. My most important message is that we would not make such an order without first consulting the parish council sector and its representatives. We have already opened discussions to see how parish councils feel. Officials have had discussions with the National Association of Local Councils, which represents parish councils in England and the interests of community and town councils in Wales. I can tell the Committee that it welcomed in principle the prospect of some form of petitions duty being applied to parish councils. However, as I said, it is important that if, with its partnership, we move ahead with such a prospect, we do so only following the fullest possible consultation and agreement about what is being asked and how it might be delivered. I hope that those assurances address the noble Lord’s concerns and that the Committee will be satisfied.