Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Bill [HL]

Members of the Committee will excuse me for the fact that I was dreaming of better things than being stuck in this Committee on what, in the north of England anyway, is a nice winter day. I apologise. I shall speak to Amendment 162AZA, which is grouped. It goes back to what I have been trying to put forward throughout the Bill, and no doubt will continue to do so. You cannot seriously set up systems to involve and consult—to deal with the real world on the ground, however you do it—without considering and including local strategic partnerships. I do not understand the Government’s desire for local strategic partnerships to play an important role in local governance and economic matters without appearing in legislation. It is quite extraordinary and denies the world as it is. As I always say as a caveat, I would be happy if local strategic partnerships disappeared and their functions were simply put with local authorities, to do all the consultation, working groups and involvement with other bodies that LSPs do when they are working well. But they exist and are not going to disappear. We therefore ought to accept in legislation that they are just as important as all the other bodies that are listed. In many cases, LSPs are certainly more important at a local level than the Historic Buildings and Monuments Commission for England, important though that is for particular historic buildings and monuments. They are often a fundamental part of how a local authority tackles local economic issues. They tackle social, environmental, transport and educational issues and all sorts of others, but their role of trying to produce, and provide training for, local jobs, investing in local business and improving local transport infrastructure and so on is at their heart. All of that is crucial to the local economy. The LSPs currently often commission the economic assessments that the Government are talking about and want councils to be responsible for. LSPs are currently doing this on behalf of the council and their other partners. To leave them out of legislation is crazy. Finally, I remind the Government that LSPs exist not only for the principal local authorities at the top tier or unitary level, but also for district councils. In some districts, the LSP is an important and effective body in stimulating the development of the local economy. To miss them out is just crackers. They have a wealth of information that the principal local authority can draw on.