Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Bill [HL]

I shall speak to Amendment 187B and the other amendments in the group, except Amendment 187C, which I think is in the wrong group. They are essentially all the same amendment. The amendments are really intended to probe where an EPB is likely to be and where it will fit within existing structures. We mentioned this briefly but I do not think that we have had any sort of explanation from the Government of where they think they should be. Are EPBs basically structures that will sit on top of existing unitaries and county councils? In other words, will they be groupings of top-tier authorities or might they in some circumstances sit between a county council and its districts, providing a sort of third tier of governance, to use a fairly neutral term, between the county and the districts? Is that possible? In some areas, might they sit on top of the top tier of unitaries as a tier of governance above them, or wider than them, and in other cases might they sit between the county and its districts as a third tier of governance at an intermediate level? I have tabled this group of amendments to probe this issue. I beg to move.