Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Bill [Lords]

It is a pleasure to follow the hon. Member for Manchester, Blackley (Graham Stringer), who made a thoughtful speech. As he said, the Bill provides opportunities; it is just a question of how we make the most of them, given the obvious deficiencies in what we have at present. I think there is common ground throughout the House on the rhetoric about devolving responsibilities to the local level and giving people a say, but a real division when it comes to how that is to be delivered and whether the words are backed up by actions. I know that the hon. Member for Meriden (Mrs. Spelman) likes diversity, but that tells me more about how she voted in "Britain's Got Talent" than about her party's position on the devolution of power. Most of the correspondence arriving in my letter box expresses the opinion that the Conservatives would prevent local authorities from having any say in, for example, the way rubbish is collected. It is obviously difficult for the Conservatives to square providing all this autonomy with reserving the right to lay down the law centrally on issues such as taxation. The council tax freeze is nothing other than a centralised measure.