Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Bill [HL]

My Lords, the Minister might have been surprised when he saw that my noble friend Lord Hanningfield and I had added our names to the government amendment. I assure noble Lords that we have not been bought off. We still have serious doubts about many aspects of this Bill. However, when the Government have made a concession—and the noble Lord may not like that word, but that is what it is—it is important to recognise that they are taking steps in the right direction. In Grand Committee, noble Lords rightly raised the question of district councils. I said: ""If the duties in Part 1 are to become law, the Government should recognise the importance of district councils and the key role that they play in promoting democracy".—[Official Report, 26/1/09; col. GC13.]" I went on to express my concerns that we should not, however, encourage the unnecessary duplication of work. The noble Lord took those comments on board. The Government’s proposals are not yet perfect but they are an improvement on the original wording of the Bill. However, the wording might, once again, need to be changed at Third Reading.